


All Is Not What It Seems

by pherryt



Series: Big Bangs and Other Collaborations [10]
Category: Elfquest, Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, Canon Divergent, Confessions, Crash Landing, Elves, F/M, Fantasy, Fluff, Implied Smut, M/M, Malfunctioning Tech, Mental Health Issues, Mutual Pining, Names, Near Death, Nightmares, Nobody Dies, Past Brainwashing, Past Torture, Pining, Redemption, Sending, Telepathy, Truths revealed, Wolves, archery competition, bonding through shooting, brief mention of minor canon past death, change of hearts, deaf!Clint, double mutual pining, established leetah/cutter, established strongbow/moonshade, post elfquest original quest, post winter soldier, reluctant teacher strongbow, sci fi, stubborn strongbow
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-15
Updated: 2020-11-14
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:01:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 21,955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27564202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pherryt/pseuds/pherryt
Summary: The Avengers are returning from a mission that had them out in space when their ship is pulled off course to a crash landing on a planet that was strangely reminiscent of Earth - if it weren’t for the two moons in the sky and the elves that lived in the forest.Tech seems to go haywire here, leaving half the team at a disadvantage when confronted by wolf riding elves who have never had cause to trust humans, and now, the Avengers need to find their escaped prisoner: Loki.Steve’s trying to keep the team together, Thor must convince the elves they mean no harm, Tony’s keeping secrets while looking for a way to get them home and Nat is busy matchmaking while Bucky and Clint just came down with a case of selective telepathy.
Relationships: Background: - Relationship, Cutter/Leetah (Elfquest), James "Bucky" Barnes/Clint Barton, Moonshade/Strongbow (Elfquest), Steve Rogers/Tony Stark, Stony, Winterhawk
Series: Big Bangs and Other Collaborations [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1757914
Comments: 28
Kudos: 36
Collections: Marvel Big Bang 2020





	1. Prologue - The Dream

**Author's Note:**

> This can be read even if you don't have knowledge of ElfQuest. I hope you give it a try! _Cheat sheet in the end notes for a few specific ElfQuest terms_
> 
> Okay guys, this story is basically a self indulgent piece that I’d been wanting to write and not having any good reason to (because I had too many other deadlines) and then realizing that it could be a Marvel Big Bang story and *now* I had the permission I needed! I basically just wanted my two favorite archers to meet - and then had to figure out a plot to work around them LOL
> 
> Once I started, it worked out even better than I had hoped and planned! I had so much fun, I didn’t want to stop and I hope you guys enjoy it too!
> 
> Much thanks to [ Weepingnaiad](https://archiveofourown.org/users/weepingnaiad) for the Beta, and to [ Hopelessly_me ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hopelessly_me) for the Alpha - you both were integral as cheerleaders on the merits of this story!
> 
> And with that - may I introduce my artist who made the most [Fantastic Mood Board ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27566269) for this story that I’ve been ITCHING to share since I first saw it - [ Sian1359](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sian1359) !  
> Seriously, it's awesome! I was worried when I went to claims since it was a crossover story - any artist, no matter the medium, might have found it daunting but Sian really stepped up to the challenge and knocked it out of the park!
> 
> Art is embedded here but PLEASE make sure you tell Sian how awesome it is too!

  


##  The Holt 

* * *

In a little tree den, deep, deep in the Forgotten Forest, somewhere between the threat of Blue Mountain - and their new leader, Winnowill - and that of the superstitious humans beyond the waterfall, a little blonde haired Wolfrider - no more than a cub - woke, eyes wide and teary.

*Mother, father!* he Sent, waking his parents - Cutter, the youngest chief of the Wolfriders and Leetah, his dark skinned life mate, the tribe's powerful healer, who had held even Winnowill at bay. 

*What is it, cub?*

*What’s wrong, Suntop?* An equally small cub, with bright red hair, clambered over limbs to crash into her brother as he sought his mother's embrace.

*They’re falling! Falling, falling, falling, like the High Ones did, falling from the sky!*

Cutter shuddered, looking at Leetah in dismay and despair as their son sobbed in her arms. So young, to be burdened with the gift he held. A life changing gift. Without Suntop’s funny feelings, the Wolfriders would never have found the Palace of the High Ones, or discovered the truth of the Elves' past - Wolfrider, Sunfolk, GoBacks and Blue Mountain Elves alike.

But how he wished he could take this away from his child and shoulder the burden for him. He ran a hand over the yellow hair. He knew what it was like to come into a responsibility too young.

Suddenly the sky outside the den darkened, a strange sound splitting it and Suntop scrambled to the entrance of the tree den, balancing on the thick branch like it was second nature, like he hadn’t spent most of his young life in the desert and had never seen a tree thicker around than an elf,  much less a tree as big as the one the family den occupied. He pointed to the sky as his family joined him.

“There!” he said aloud. “They’re falling!”

Cutter followed Suntop’s finger with his gaze, and focused on the dark shape blocking off the gaps in the trees. It was large,  whatever it was , and shaped like nothing natural Cutter had ever seen. 

Around him, other Wolfriders and Elves were leaving their dens and pointing up, silent - always silent - in confusion. Then the shadow was gone and light was filtering down through the thick tree canopy once more.

A few moments later, in the distance, something shook the earth, making the trees tremble and Suntop curl in his father's arms.

What had just come to the Forgotten Forest and were the Wolfriders ready for yet more change that challenged the Way of the Wolf?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's your cheat sheet:
> 
>   * The Holt - what the elves call their home - the fantastic trees that they live in, modified to have 'dens' up high - so basically, a really cool tree house for the entire pack
>   * Puckernuts is a curse word (that i’ve been forbidden from using at home ever again. *pout*)
>   * Recognition is basically the act of finding your soulmate
>   * Lifemate = spouse/partner
>   * Sending = telepathy (and will be indicated with *asteriks* instead of "quotes")
>   * Wolfriders have multiple names - usenames and soulnames. Soulnames are private and only given out to those you most trust.
>   * Preservers are basically Fairies. Naked, genderless, any color you can think of, and are basically mentioned as flavortext because the Forbidden Forest was their domain before the Elves moved in.
>   * This story takes place between the Original Quest and The Siege at Blue Mountain 
> 

> 
> If you’d like to check out ElfQuest and find out how the Wolfriders got to the Forbidden Forest, you can find all their comics on the official website - for free! - except for the ones that came out in the past few years. That’s still A LOT. 
> 
> Main Website: https://elfquest.com/  
> or Go directly to the comics: http://www.elfquest.com/read/digitalEQ.html


	2. Chapter 1 - The Crash

##  Bucky 

* * *

“Steve! Stevie! Are you okay?” Bucky pushed his way through  to Steve, ducking burning metal  falling all around him, smoke thick in the air.

“I’m fine, Buck,” Steve shouted back. “I’m gonna make my way forward, check on Tony – make sure the others are okay!”

Bucky didn’t waste time nodding or responding, just turning about and trying to remember where on the ship he’d last seen everyone before it had crashed into this unnamed planet.

It was one of Stark's babies: filled with tech more advanced than even NASA – Thank you U.S. Government for defunding an important program (Bucky might have been salty. Space had been a  _ dream _ when he was a kid, and because of money and politics, they’d  _ killed  _ it!) - but for all that, it was still limited in size. Clint and Nat had been in the dining area, he thought, but Thor had been keeping his captive brother company.

Other than the cockpit – or cabin or whatever it was called – the dining area and the all too small quarters, most of the ship was the engine. To be fair, the most advanced engine on Earth, but still, fairly large compared to the experienced space faring races they’d met so far.

Of course, it’d be nice if that engine hadn’t failed, sent them into a tailspin and ended with them possibly breaking the ship  _ or  _ themselves.

Oh Jesus, what if one of the others was hurt?

What if  _ Clint  _ was hurt?

Bucky shoved against a blocked door, honing in on the coughing on the other side. Nat and Clint had already picked themselves off the floor, where there was evidence of blood, but neither looked too hurt. He relaxed minutely as they made their way across the room, leaning on each other.

“Thor?”

Clint didn’t answer, coughing again – the smoke was getting thick, they had to get out of here – and Nat shook her head.

“Don’t know – that door is blocked too,” she said. It was then he realized how strangely silent the ship was. Outside of air hissing from ruptured lines, the crackle of flames and creaking metal, there was no sound of machinery, no alarms blaring.

The light was dim too, the only source was from the corridor he’d just come through, the one that led right back to the main airlock if you went straight at the junction.

The ship hadn’t just crashed, there was no power.

Doing a quick think – Thor and Loki were both Asgardians and would surely have survived something as simple as a crash landing – Bucky decided to lead Clint and Nat out first before worrying about the Asgardians. Not that he was terribly worried about Loki, other than that he might escape and lead them on yet another merry chase.

Bucky had had quite enough of that, thank you very much.

“C’mon,” Bucky said, grabbing one of Clint’s arms and leading them out. While Nat and Clint were good agents, skilled at navigating in less than ideal conditions and though Clint’s eyesight in particular  _ was _ phenomenal, Bucky’s was enhanced from the serum and there wasn’t a lot of light to go on, even for him.

Neither of them resisted his pull, and soon enough they were tumbling out of the airlock onto hard churned dirt and rocks. Around them, the path of Stark's ship as it had careened over the ground was clear – the deep divot it drove into the earth, the trees that had been torn and tossed about like a tornado, the smoke that billowed thick and black from the ship, broken only by flickers of flame.

What the hell had happened? How had Stark's ship failed so spectacularly?

Looking around, letting Nat and Clint catch their breath and get clear of the smoke, Bucky realized they were the only ones out of the ship. Even as he thought that, a horrendous crash sounded and something – or somebody – streaked high into the sky. Squinting through the smoke, Buck caught only glimpses of red and yellow – Stark or Thor? Where was Steve?

And then Steve was stumbling out of the airlock, dragging a pale looking Tony alongside him. So it had been Thor – which left Loki.

Had Loki been left behind? Unlikely. Though he was a villain, he was also Thor’s brother. A soft thud heralded the landing of Thor.

“My friends, how do you fare?” he boomed, concern loud and large, in that way of his that Bucky still hadn’t quite gotten used to but was definitely sincere.

Clint didn’t answer, doubled over in a cough, Nat rubbing at his back. Steve and Tony slowly made their way to join them. Tony looked unwell, but he was awake and on his feet and Bucky couldn’t see any actual injuries.

“Well, we’re all in one piece, so that’s a start. Can’t say the same for the ship, though,” Bucky drawled.

“Tis a shame. It was a fine ship, Stark,” Thor commiserated. “I’m afraid my news is ill timed, but I cannot, in good conscience, withhold it: Loki, in some manner unknown to me, has gotten free of his restraints and I know not where he has gone.”

“Do you think he arranged this?” Steve asked sharply, Nat’s head snapping up to stare at first him, then Thor.

“Nay, I do not believe so. He merely took advantage of an opportunity that had presented itself – he is skilled in twisting things to his benefit,” Thor assured them.

Steve helped Tony to sit on the branch of an uprooted tree – Bucky had never  _ seen  _ trees like this, so tall and thicker around then several Thor’s could have reached – and Tony waved him off, still pale, sweat dotting his face.

Could he have internal injuries? It would be just like Tony to play it off as nothing.

“Okay, do we know what happened?” Steve looked around at the group, but the question was obviously aimed at Tony.

Tony shook his head. “Everything failed, Steve. It just… stopped, like someone had flicked a switch, and then the planet pulled us in. We’re lucky we survived that crash. Chalk one up to good old Stark Engineering!” His chuckle was weak at best.

“Shouldn’t we, y’know, do something about that?” Bucky said, waving a hand at the ship. “Big ol’ forest, burning ship – sounds like a recipe for disaster to me. I don’t know about anybody else, but I’m not willing to test the theory that I can survive a forest fire, and I’m pretty sure a few of us couldn’t anyway.”

“Fire suppression – “ Steve started.

“Is automated.  _ Nothing is working _ , Cap,” Tony snapped. “I can’t make it any more clear.”

“Have no fear, friends,” Thor announced, Mjolnir spinning in his grip. “I shall find a body of water, and with my hammer, we will rain down upon the flames and quench their hunger.”

Thor waited no longer, but launched himself into the air as soon as the last word left his mouth. Steve nodded. “Okay, that’s a plan for the immediate problem, but if our ship is out of commission, we need to find out where we are, if there are any sentient lifeforms on the planet and what our reception is likely to be.” Steve paused. “We’ll probably need shelter too. I don’t think we’re going to get home before dinner.”

Bucky rolled his eyes but didn’t comment. It wasn’t like Steve was wrong, no matter how much Bucky would have preferred that to being stranded on a strange planet. He’d wanted to go into space and visit alien worlds, he hadn’t exactly wanted to be trapped on one with no way home.

At least he wasn’t alone.

##  Clint 

* * *

Clint shook his head again and coughed. The ringing in his ears drowned out even that. At first, he’d thought his aids had been caught in some sort of feedback loop, but he was starting to fear they’d actually bit the dust.

Only Stark and Nat knew about them. Nat, because she was Nat. Not only could you  _ not  _ hide anything from her, but she was  _ family _ . Stark because Clint had needed Tony’s help when his SHIELD issued ones had met a fatal end and getting replacements was not exactly a possibility anymore.

As always, she watched his back, angling herself so he could see her lips – because of course she’d caught on to what he hadn’t yet had the courage to say aloud – or the privacy.

“You want us to scout around, get the lay of the land and any locals?”

Steve nodded firmly. “I don – ike – sp-itting us up –“  _ Jesus, Cap, stop moving! _ Clint thought as he struggled to parse what Steve was saying as he swung his head between Nat and Clint, Bucky and Tony. “But what – do we - ?”

Clint sighed, shouldering his bow, grateful that he’d had it on him in the dining area. It had the most space to work and he’d been checking it over, running some ideas by Nat for new arrows when disaster had struck.

Without a word, he turned away, walking off into unnerving silence.

What else could he do? He had the best eyes around. You wanted a scout, you got Widow and Hawkeye. There was no one on the Avengers better suited to the task, especially with the current turnout.

Keeping a careful eye out, Clint walked through the forest, doing his best to compensate for his lack of hearing, to stifle the coughs that gathered in his chest. Eventually, he came upon a stream, shallow but wide, burbling over stones. The tree cover went straight up to the edges of the water, the roots of some of the older trees dipping right in.

Clint crouched by the stream. It was more open then he wanted to be, but he needed a breather, needed the cool refreshing drink. Needed a clear line of sight without being able to depend on his hearing.

Movement across the way caught his eye and he looked up. The banks on the other side were clear of brush, and a few feet back the trees started again, old and curving and covered in thick thorn brambles and carved wolf heads.

He stared in disbelief, because the carvings looked like they’d grown that way. Something moved again and he scanned his eyes about until he saw the wolf on the other side of the stream staring at him. Clint smiled softly at it. It looked young, seemed a little skittish, but it was probably also thirsty.

Though he couldn’t hear himself, Clint spoke, hoping he’d modulated his voice well enough not to spook the young wolf.

“Hey there, buddy. You haven’t seen a man dressed in green with curving horns, have you? You’ll want to steer clear of him, if you can. Hell, I don’t know if you’re the kind who’ll understand me – not much surprises me anymore – but if you are, you might want to pass that message on. Trust me, from personal experience, he’s not someone you want to tangle with.”

Nat dropped into a crouch beside him, bumping his shoulder to get his attention. Clint didn’t startle. Though he hadn’t heard her approach, he still always seemed to know when she was around, like he had a second sense for Nat and her whereabouts.

“You know,” she said, talking and signing at the same time once he looked at her. “I’ve heard it said, that talking to yourself is a sure sign of insanity.”

He huffed out a bitter laugh. “Nat, I’m a plain old, human, with nothing special going on. We regularly hang out with a god and people who could kill us with their minds or their pinkies. And we do it willingly. I think we both passed the bar on being crazy a long time ago.”

She didn’t answer him; she just stared out over the same stream and the young wolf that was inching its way forward.

A second later, it was joined by another, this one white as snow and larger than any wild wolf either of them had ever seen.

Clint and Nat froze as this one pinned them with a stare that was very definitely intelligent.

Then it turned and herded the younger one back into the wall of thorns that looked impenetrable from here but that they just melted right into like they’d never been.

They sat there a good few minutes, making sure the wolves weren’t returning before Clint choked out, “Please let me be the one to tell Bucky we met his namesake.”

##  Bucky 

* * *

Bucky watched Clint and Nat walk off into the woods with a frown of misgiving. Something felt off.

_ Of course something feels off, idiot, _ he chided himself. Stark tech doesn’t just  _ fail  _ like this, to start with, we’re on an alien planet and who knows if we can get back home. Still, Bucky would have felt better going with them, but he knew his strengths.

And right now, he needed to focus on something a little closer to home.

He sidled up to Steve and spoke softly, so Tony couldn’t hear them. “Stevie, it wasn’t just the ship.”

Steve looked at him sharply. “What do you mean? Do you know what happened?”

Bucky scoffed. “Sure, I know exactly what pulled us out of the sky, and why my arm is acting up.”

Giving Bucky a wry, apologetic look, Steve said, “Sorry. Of course you wouldn’t – what do you mean, your arm?”

“It was sluggish when we were getting off the ship, but it’s becoming more and more deadweight the longer we’re here,” Bucky explained. “I can sort of move it, but it’s taking every ounce of concentration to do it.”

“That’s not good,” Steve said.

“Ya think?” Bucky shook his head. “I’m tellin’ you, ‘cause, you gotta know, punk. In case we end up in some sort of tussle.”

“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that,” Steve said.

“When are we ever that lucky?” Bucky retorted. He nodded at Tony. “Also, gotta say, I’m not liking the way he’s lookin’. He’s a bit peaky.”

“Yeah, me neither. I – “ Steve was interrupted as a literal waterfall poured down over the ship, the flames going out altogether and Thor landing, not even damp, beside them. Bucky whistled. Centrifugal force was a hell of a thing.

“Good job, Thor,” Steve said. “That was quick work.”

“It was nothing,” Thor said, brushing off the thanks, but Bucky could see him preening at the praise. God, everyone was a sucker for Steve’s approval. Except him. He was immune.

Well, mostly.

Bucky turned to face the part of the woods Nat and Clint had disappeared into, then looked around the rest of their forcibly made clearing. Even down an arm, he could take care of himself, and they could probably do with more scouting. Steve was talking with Thor, asking him what he’d seen from the sky when a commotion interrupted them.

Tony was pushing himself up off the branch he’d been sitting on, still paler than Bucky would like. Steve was at Tony’s side in an instant, his conversation with Thor forgotten.

“Tony, where are you going?”

“Fires out, Steve, time to find out what went wrong with the ship.” Something flashed across Tony’s face that made Bucky uneasy, though he couldn’t explain why – but then, he didn’t know Tony as well as Steve did.

“No one’s blaming you, Tony,” Steve said gently. “It can wait five minutes.”

“No, it  _ really _ can’t,” Tony snapped back, pushing past Steve and toward the wreckage. His stride was sure, but he stumbled on his entry into the airlock. Steve winced and Bucky patted his back sympathetically.

“Keep a weather eye out, Buck,” Steve said. “I’ll watch him, see if there’s anything salvageable at the same time.”

“Yeah, all right,” Bucky said, sighing. Steve was right. They were in unknown territory – with Steve and Tony inside, it fell to Bucky and Thor to stay on guard. It made Bucky’s stomach twist.

Where before he’d enjoyed the mystery of an alien planet, now he couldn’t help but wonder what strange dangers lurked behind the leaves. Danger that Clint and Nat could have walked right into.

“This planet is strangely similar to Midgard of old,” Thor noted. “When the forests held much of the land and Midgardians had not yet spread as they have now. I could swear these are the very same trees.”

Bucky took a closer look. “It  _ is  _ very Earthlike,” Bucky admitted. “But I’m not a botany expert either. Asgardians have been to Earth – maybe others have been too? Could the trees have been transplanted here?”

“A fair theory, and one that has merit, but alas, not one we are likely to ever discover the truth of,” Thor said. Bucky shrugged. It wasn’t like it really mattered, or made any difference to their current predicament.

Even if he was insanely curious. This had all the earmarks of a sci fi pulp novel. Though, if Bucky were honest, a lot of his life these days had the same earmarks. Flying robots? Mechanical wings? Cyborg arms? Alien invasions? The fact that humanity had gone so far and so high and yet hadn’t done much to develop space flight - hadn’t gone farther than the  _ moon  _ since their first landing 50 odd years prior – still baffled him.

How could anyone  _ not  _ want to see the stars and explore?

If only the situation was a little less tenuous so that Bucky could really enjoy the experience, that would be nice.

By unspoken agreement, Bucky patrolled t he clearing their accident had made on foot,  making circuit after circuit while Thor occasionally flew high and made short excursions past their crash site in different directions to get the lay of the land.

Neither Tony nor Steve had emerged from the ship by the time Clint and Nat returned, Bucky cutting his circuit short to meet them, relief flooding through him. He scanned them, noting they looked as unharmed as they had before, though they held a myriad collection of scratches and bruises from the crash.

“Not much in that direction,” Clint announced. “Unless you count a thick wall of thorns that stretched along the borders of a stream, festooned with animal carvings as particularly interesting.”

Nat shook her head. “We saw no signs of  _ obvious  _ sentient life, though there were animals aplenty. They were… strangely familiar considering this is another planet.”

Thor landed beside them. “Ah! It is as I said to James – this place is very like Midgard. Indeed, it is baffling to me how similar they are.”

“Eh, the life of an Avenger, always beholding a mystery, always the  _ center of attention _ ,” Clint said, the inflection on his words making Bucky scan the tree line more closely. Now that he wasn’t distracted, he could  _ feel  _ the eyes on them, even though he saw  _ nothing _ . It made the space between his shoulders itch.

Even as Clint called their attention to the watchers, something stepped out of the trees. A gigantic white wolf, padding slowly towards them. Bucky froze at the sight. She was beautiful, but a wolf was a wolf, and wolves could be dangerous.

And this was an alien one at that.

As the white wolf approached, Thor stepped forward, his movement carrying him past Bucky, Nat and Clint. He reached the wolf and knelt down on one knee, holding out his hand, the red cape flaring up lightly before settling on the earth. “Well met, little sister. You are very old, I think. I am Thor Odinson.”

It was strange enough to see Thor talk to people without ever seeming to change the language he spoke and be understood, it was even stranger still to see him use his All Speak with animals and know that they would also understand him.

“We are travelers here, come upon this world by happenstance and ill luck. We mean no harm while we are here, though there was one among us who might not bear the same good intent, and I must warn you, lest you come across him. I am looking for my brother, Loki, who – loath as I am to admit it – may not be content to work in harmony for the duration of our stay on this world. There’s been… precedent for such belief,” Thor said sadly.

Bucky nearly snorted, because from everything he’d heard, Thor was putting it lightly. But Loki was Thor’s brother and while Bucky didn’t care for Loki in the slightest, he understood it was complicated.

He didn’t think he could ever forgive someone who willingly brainwashed others, making them do horrible things against their will or natures.

Before much else could occur, there was a shout from within the ship. Steve’s voice, filled with fear.

##  Steve 

* * *

“Tony!” Steve called as he entered the airlock. The door was hanging ajar, leaving the ship open to any and sundry that wanted in. He hoped there were no breaches in the hull itself, or who knew what else could take up residence in the ship, get into the wiring and make it harder to fix?

Checking the cockpit first, he was unsurprised to find Tony there, as he would have been equally unsurprised if he’d been tinkering with the engine directly. Tony was muttering to himself, squinting around. The only light came in through the forward windows, but it was enough for Steve to see by.

He wasn’t sure about Tony.

“How are you feeling?” Steve asked, sitting down in one of the seats, trying to stay out of Tony’s way.

“Like we just crash landed on a planet,” Tony snapped. “What do you  _ think _ ?” There was an odd clip to his voice that set Steve’s teeth on edge. He continued to reach around, flipping switches and pulling up panels when nothing happened. He muttered to himself, curses spreading liberally through his speech the longer he went. He also sounded breathless. Steve sniffed the air. Maybe Tony was breathing in a toxin from the crash that wasn’t affecting Steve because of the serum.

“Will you stop for a second and  _ breathe?”  _ Steve said desperately. He hated when Tony went into a science haze. It was so hard to get him to take care of himself and he didn’t want Tony ignoring any sort of injuries because he thought they were nothing, and certainly nothing to bother Steve or the others with.

Because Tony was self-sacrificing like that. Or maybe he was too vain. Could be both, Steve supposed.

Tony glared at him, and didn’t listen. Because why would he? He was Tony Stark. Steve resigned himself to following Tony all over the goddamn ship, as he shadowed him and tried to understand what was going through Tony’s head, or figure out a way he could actually help.

Through it all, Tony looked worse and worse, still blowing off every ounce of concern Steve held for him. The more Steve watched, the more the worry in the pit of his stomach grew, his muscles growing more and more tense.

When Tony hurled a wrench across the room – narrowly missing Steve in the process – and hurling invectives with the same sort of heedless disregard, Steve finally had enough.

“Tony!” Steve said sharply, cutting him off. “A word.”

Tony groaned, rubbing at his face as Steve pushed his way between Tony and the current object of Tony’s attention. “What was that?”

“What was what?” Tony crossed his arms belligerently. Steve noticed Tony was shaking, slightly. What was going on with him?

“What’s  _ wrong  _ with you?” Steve asked bluntly.

“Nothing.”

Steve raked his hand through his short hair. “Bull. Talk to me, Tony,” he said more gently.

“Okay, you want to know what’s wrong?” Tony asked, dropping his hands to his sides and clenching his fists. “I’m fucking useless right now, okay? I don’t have super strength like you or Bucky or Thor, I don’t heal from things that should have killed me. You said it yourself the first time we met – without my suit, what am I? All my tech is broken. Yeah, all of it, Steve, even the suit. I checked. How long before everyone figures out I can’t fix the ship and get us home? We’ll be stranded here. Clint’s never gonna hear again. He’s probably already realized that. He’s not as stupid as he pretends.”

Steve blinked at the onslaught of words, parsing through them as fast as he could but Tony was always a fast talker. He pushed aside anything he could focus on later, and pulled out what he needed for Tony. He hated seeing Tony like this.

“No, Tony, have a little faith. You’re not useless. You’re a genius. You’ll figure it out,” Steve said desperately trying to find a way to keep Tony together. Now, more than ever, he regretted those words from that long-ago meeting.

Tony shook his head, his face going paler than Steve liked. “I’m useless to the team, I’m useless to the mission and I’m useless to  _ you _ . I’m a goddamned liability, Steve.” He turned away, breathing hard and he staggered.

Steve lurched forward and caught him before he fell. “Tony? Tony what’s –“

And that’s when he realized it. That’s when Tony’s words  _ really  _ penetrated his brain and the thing that had been nagging at him since the crash finally resolved into knowledge.

“Oh my god, Tony, your heart…” Steve whispered. “All the tech. Jesus, Tony, why didn’t you  _ say  _ anything?”

“What… what good would it… have done?” His eyes were fading as he gasped and Steve panicked,  shouting for someone, anyone –

He lowered Tony to the deck, still shouting, and he heard footsteps pounding through the metal walls until someone skidded to a stop beside him .

“What’s wrong?”

“He’s dying, Buck. All the tech is broken, including,” Steve choked, lifting Tony’s shirt, fingers brushing against the circle that had lived there since Steve had known him. It lay dormant, the ever-present blue flare of light gone.

“Including the one that kept him alive,” Thor finished the statement sadly, arriving just behind Bucky. Steve caught a glimpse of Clint and Nat behind them, and then a small, dark figure – almost lost in the dim lighting – slipped between them all and dropped beside Tony, reaching for him.

Steve startled. “Wait, who are you? What are you doing?” He grabbed her shoulder and she turned, her eyes flashing sharply at him. She spoke, a soft, beautiful flow of words that meant  _ nothing,  _ but some sense of her intent pushed through and even his instinctive protectiveness of Tony eased back a little. He withdrew his hand and shook his head, glancing up at Thor before giving her some space, then focusing back on Tony once more.

“Worry not, Friend Steve,” Thor said, lowering his voice so it wouldn’t echo thunderously in the ship. “They are here to help.”

Despite the assurance of Thor, Steve couldn’t help the nauseous swirl, the anxious feeling of helplessness as he stared at Tony. How could she possibly help him? What if Tony was lost to them and Steve hadn’t had the courage to speak up for the one thing that meant so much to him?

Then her hands began to glow, a mere inch from Tony’s chest. Beneath her, Tony gasped, his back arching and Steve nearly lunged forward. Bucky pulled him back, like he always had.

They waited long moments, Steve’s pulse hammering away at him and then the glow subsided and the healer fell back. She was caught in pale arms and brought to her feet – and then Tony shot up, eyes slamming open and Steve forgot all about them.

“Power sources!”

Steve jolted, shaking off Bucky, at Tony’s side in an instant. “Take it easy, Tony. You almost died on me.”

Tony turned, grabbed Steve’s shirt and yanked. He wasn’t strong enough to move Steve if Steve didn’t want to be, but he let him, anxious to ease whatever was going through Tony’s head, anxious to be close to Tony after having almost lost him.

“It’s not the tech at all! I couldn’t find anything wrong with it – because there  _ isn’t  _ anything wrong with it. It’s the  _ power  _ sources. Like the whole damn planet’s a damn dampening field!” Tony’s voice was triumphant and insulted all at the same time but Steve – Steve couldn’t hold back anymore.

He wrapped his arms around Tony’s shoulders and held on tight and whispered. “You almost  _ died _ , Tony.” The whisper came out choked. Tony froze, falling silent, then he pulled Steve closer, if that were possible.

“I didn’t,” he whispered, and Steve felt like they were caught in a bubble, a suspended moment, where all the care he felt was making itself known and a spark of hope filled him, because did Tony feel this way too? Then, because it was Tony, the moment was gone. “Hey, I didn’t. How’d that happen?”


	3. Chapter 2 – The Elves

##  Clint 

* * *

Like the rest of the Avengers, Clint was doing a fair bit of gawking as they followed the elves and their wolves. The white wolf – Timmain – had been the welcome wagon, basically. After Thor’s greetings, more wolves and – apparently –  _ elves  _ had melted out of the trees. They were short things, but graceful and full of bristling wariness.

Nat had translated what he couldn’t hear with surreptitious signing while everyone’s eyes were caught on the newcomers, but even she couldn’t understand the elven speech. Thor could, however. Damn, All Speak was useful.

And then all hell had broken loose. Steve had shouted and one of the elves had broken free of the pack and pelted towards the ship. She’d healed Tony’s heart, the arc reactor in his chest laying dormant, useless, like the aids Clint had finally pulled out of his ears and shoved into his pockets.

Since then, after what seemed like an intense debate that he didn’t think even the  _ others  _ could hear – but boy howdy, did body language speak volumes – the elves had led the Avengers back to their home – through that wall of thorns he’d found earlier. Clint had braced himself as they approached and then the wall had just… opened, the plants simply flowing out of the way and then closing back in behind them as they passed which was… actually, more than a little unnerving, even as it was cool.

Now, all around them were large, beautifully twisted shapes of trees with obvious dens pocketing them, most of them higher up in the branches instead of at the base. The Elves, it seemed, preferred the higher ground, despite their close connection to land bound wolves.

Clint got that. So did he.

Steve had been hovering around Tony protectively, so Clint hadn’t expected it when S teve pulled him aside, a hand on his shoulder. Clint turned to get a good view of his mouth, missing the start of what he’d said but then the rest of what Steve said became clear and Clint’s heart sank.

“-thing just before he collapsed. Clint, your ears - “ Steve looked embarrassed. “I’m sorry to ask, if you’d wanted us to know, you would have, but -”

Clint sighed. He knew he should have said something to begin with, but he’d hoped it would be temporary. Still, with the situation as it was now, he was still formidable, but he could cost the others if they were unaware of his … limitations.

“I can’t hear ya, Cap. Normally I have something to help with that but…” he waved a hand around at the planet. “Tech seems to be something of a no go around here.”

“I’m sorry, Clint,” Steve said, his expression devastated. 

“Don’t be. I’m used to it. I know sign, can read lips and my other senses are pretty damn good. I just don’t advertise it, because it’s not a weakness I want the bad guys to get a hold of. In fact,” Clint paused, trying to impress the words on Steve because he really, really didn’t want to deal with Steve’s sympathetic puppy dog face right now, “-sometimes it’s a strength.”

Steve’s eyes went wide. “That siren in Jersey last month. You were the only one to withstand the call. You were the one who snapped us all out of it. I never could figure out how. But if you couldn’t -”

Clint pushed a grin out and snapped his fingers, pointing at Steve. “Exactly. Can’t enthrall someone with your voice if they can’t hear you.”

Nodding, Steve pushed, because of course he did. “Okay, but there’s a healer here. If she can heal Tony’s heart, she could probably – “

“No,” Clint said, biting the word out, probably harsher and louder than he meant. A few gazes swept his way and he grimaced.

“But why?” Steve actually looked puzzled and Clint shook his head.

“I’m not you, Steve,” Clint said. “I’m not going to sign myself up for experimentation and come out the other side a super soldier. I don’t need to be. I’m good at what I do, and other than my ears, my health is good – better even, then a lot of other folks - and as much as I hate this, it’s not usually a problem unless I’m stuck in the middle of a place like this.” Clint waved his hand around vaguely. “I’m only admitting this to you because you need to know. I’m not looking for you to fix me, so don’t.”

It had taken Clint a long time to come to terms with his second bout of deafness, to accept that it was here to stay this time and to enfold it into himself and learn to turn it to his advantage. He wasn’t going to undo all that hard work now. He just had to hope that Steve would let it drop, even if he couldn’t understand Clint’s decision, even if Clint couldn’t explain that decision himself.

Steve suddenly jerked and looked away from Clint, looking sheepish. Clint followed his gaze and found everyone looking between him and Thor.

“What? What’d he say?” Clint asked, dread already filling him. He suspected the answer already but he had to ask.

“My apologies, friend Hawk,” Thor said, turning to face Clint properly. “I may have revealed your secret to all about us. I was simply in awe of your skills, for I would never have suspected. Truly, you are remarkable, and well deserving of being an Avenger.”

Clint’s face flamed then paled and he pasted another smile on his face, though it felt tight. 

“It’s fine, Thor. I figured it was about time to come clean anyway. You all needed to know if we’re going to continue on as a team.”

Steve turned back to Clint, grasped his shoulder and stared at him in earnest. “We’re more than a team, Clint, we’re family.”

##  Bucky 

* * *

Bucky had suspected a long time ago, and was surprised that Steve hadn’t picked up on it till now, that Clint was deaf, or at least hard of hearing. Then again, Bucky was possibly more invested in Clint than Steve was, so that probably made the difference.

Plus, he was used to blonde punks who couldn’t hear much and faking it. There’d been a few too many late-night mishaps and mid-morning dazes to put Bucky on alert, and then after that business with the Siren, that had pretty much cinched it for him.

But it was Clint’s life and Clint’s business and he’d obviously done whatever he needed to do to compensate, so Bucky wasn’t going to be the ass who made a big deal of it.

Figures it would be Steve and Thor who did that, even as well intentioned as they were.

Bucky rubbed at his shoulder ruefully, letting himself lean up against a tree as he did, and tried to ignore the kerfuffle with the others. Tony and Nat, he noted, were completely unsurprised by the accidental revelation which made a hell of a lot of sense. Nat, Bucky expected it from. Tony… well, it made Bucky’s respect for the man notch up a little higher, that Clint trusted him and Tony kept his confidence.

Hissing, Bucky grimaced, angling himself on the tree to look as casual as possible as he tried to ease some of the strain for at least an instant or two. His arm was now a complete deadweight against his body. He’d been trying to keep it tucked inward, against himself, so that it wouldn’t pull at his shoulder socket, but with no control of it whatsoever, it had been nigh impossible.

Clint was beside him suddenly and Bucky blinked. “What -?”” he asked as Clint reached for him.

“What’s wrong with your arm, Buck?” Clint looked up, watching Bucky carefully. Oh, if he were only staring at Bucky’s lips for any other reason -

“Deadweight. It’s putting a strain on my shoulder.”

“Had a feeling,” Clint acknowledged. From nowhere he pulled out a cloth and before Bucky knew it, Clint was wrapping his arm as if he’d broken it, securing it firmly to Bucky’s body and relieving the aching pressure on his shoulder.

“Thanks,” he said quietly, waiting for a moment when Clint had looked back up. Clint blushed and backed off, rubbing at the back of his head

“Eh, it’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

Before Bucky could stop him, Clint had moved away. Bucky sighed, knowing it was useless to call after him. His gaze followed Clint as he distanced himself away from the others and he sighed again. Damn it, Steve. And Thor, too.

Speaking of Steve –

Steve turned and left Tony’s side to join Bucky. “You okay, Buck?”

“Just fine,” Bucky said. “Clint fixed me all up. Don’t think this is a job for that healer of theirs. What do we know, anyway?”

“Thor’s talking to them now. They call themselves the Wolfriders. That one is their chief, Cutter. The healer is his… life mate? Wife, I guess. This is the Forbidden Forest and they only recently made their home here, so I hear. Right now, Thor’s arranging someplace for us to hole up.” Steve paused and looked around. “Literally, I guess.”

Bucky glanced up and grimaced. “S’long as I don’t have to climb.” Not that he couldn’t do it one handed, but it was awkward and his life wasn’t in any danger, so he’d rather not. Movement caught his eye and he looked back down to see the healer approaching him. She gestured gracefully at his arm and he shook his head at her. “Nah, doll, this you can’t fix.”

He leaned down just a little, to let her see the metal of his fingers where they poked out of the sling Clint had made him, and her eyes widened. Her fingers reached out but hesitated and she looked up at him, curiosity and a bit of confusion there as well. He nodded – thank fuck, that seemed to be universal – and her fingers lightly touched the metal before pulling away again.

Before he could straighten, her hand went to his temple, the healer standing on her tiptoes to reach, warmth radiating from her fingertips. It was just a split second – there and gone again – before she dropped her hand and gave him a sad smile.

“What-?” Bucky croaked, staring after her as she walked away. “Steve, what did she do? She did something, I know she did!”

“Calm down, Buck,” Steve said. “I’ll ask Thor, okay?”

##  Clint 

* * *

Clint needed space, and with the Elves all congregating with their wolves around the other Avengers - not too close, most of them seemed to regard the Avengers with understandable wariness, a few with outright fear (and one with clear disdain) – Clint decided to take to the trees.

The trees were large, and shaped a little differently than any Clint had seen before, but he didn’t let that deter him from swinging up into the branches. Once he reached the first branch, a restlessness had him climbing the rest of the way, till he was close enough to the top to look out and get an almost bird's eye view, but not so close that he would break a branch and plummet to the ground.

From here, he could see mountains, not too far off, large shapes wheeling in the sky. Damn, but those birds were  _ huge.  _ He settled in to watch, letting the peacefulness wash over him.

The breeze was gentle, the tree he sat in swaying with it, but not worryingly so. It wasn’t until the sky started to change colors that Clint acknowledged he might want to get back down sooner rather than later.

When he swung down off the last branch, Clint did a little flip on instinct, before landing on his feet and looking around. The area was emptier than it had been, though Bucky was still there, sitting at the base of Clint’s tree.

“Waiting for me?” Clint asked, holding out a hand. Bucky shrugged with one shoulder, then grasped Clint’s hand and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet. The fading light made it harder to see the shape of Bucky’s words but Clint wasn’t called Hawkeye for nothing.

“Wanted to make sure someone was here when you came back down,” Bucky said. “They got a guy here who can shape trees into anything he wants, with magic or something. He’s made a couple of places for us to sleep. Steve’s gone off with Tony – “

“’bout fuckin’ time,” Clint muttered, catching Bucky’s grin.

“Uh, how do you feel about –“ Bucky ducked his head.

“What was that? I couldn’t see,” Clint said, trying not to let his frustration bleed through. His head had started to ache a little while ago and he didn’t want to take it out on Bucky for forgetting he couldn’t hear him. It wasn’t like the rest of the gang had known or had ever needed to compensate for it before.

Bucky raised his head and his face was red. “Sorry. I was just – Nat went off with Thor, that leaves the last place for us, if you don’t mind sharin’?”

Oh.

Oh well then, that was…

“S’fine,” Clint gulped, trying not to let any reaction show. “Nat and Thor?” he asked, grasping desperately for anything.

“Yeah, I was surprised too. Thought she had a thing for Bruce?”

Clint shook his head. “Nah, I mean, I think there could have been something, but Bruce disappeared before it could go anywhere.” He blew out a breath. “Okay, show me where we’re crashing for the night.”

Bucky winced at the words.

“Too soon?” Clint asked, angling for a grin.

Rolling his eyes, Bucky agreed. “Maybe just a bit.”

Clint followed Bucky, though they didn’t get too far before they reached one of the large trees. In the base, nestled into the roots, was an opening large enough for both of them to go through if they ducked. Before they did, though, Bucky pointed.

“Steve and Tony are in that one, and Nat and Thor are there. We’ve been warned against using fire at night – there’s someone nearby they’re trying to avoid the attention of – so we’ve been given… furs,” Bucky said.

“Furs?” Clint asked. He shrugged. “Okay, fair enough. So, everyone’s gone to bed?”

“Well, we are, but I guess most of the Wolfriders are nocturnal? They’re either still in their dens or out hunting. But I’m guessing there’s a few up in the trees watching us. I don’t think they trust us very much,” Bucky said. Clint squinted at him. It was getting harder and harder to see Bucky’s lips and he found himself drifting closer for a better view.

“Well, we  _ did  _ fall out of the sky. Not sure I would trust me either,” Clint said.

Bucky hesitated, “Yeah, somehow, I think it’s more than that. C’mon.”

Clint watched Bucky ducking into the den and tried not to stare at his ass. Or think about the close proximity they were going to be spending the night in.

Shaking his head, Clint ducked and followed Bucky, stopping just inside to let his eyes adjust to the meager offering of light. If Bucky spoke, it was completely lost on Clint now, but Bucky’s eyes were even better in the darkness than his were, and soon, Clint found himself being led to the center of the den and urged to sit. He took the bow and quiver off his back and felt them lifted from his hands, one at a time and before he knew it, Clint was snuggled under a pile of furs in his boxers and a tee shirt with Bucky a handbreadth away, under the same pile, and no idea if he’d be able to fall asleep with the super soldier so close to him.

##  **Bucky**

* * *

Bucky spent the night in agony.

Well, that was an exaggeration, but it wasn’t far from the truth. For some reason, he couldn’t sleep and he wasn’t completely sure where he could lay the blame – the fact that he was lying next to Clint and painfully aware of just how close he was, how easy it would be to reach out and touch him, or the fact that his head was aching in a persistent way, not overly painful but near constant.

It wasn’t, he thought, a side effect of the crash landing. It hadn’t even started until maybe half an hour after the crash. And with his accelerated healing, even if he’d hurt his head, it should have subsided by now, or at least lessened.

It didn’t make any sense.

Beside him, Clint shifted, blew out a breath and shifted again.

It appeared that Bucky wasn’t the only one having issues sleeping, but talking was out of the question, not when Clint couldn’t hear him. And the only other thing he could think of to alleviate the darkness was far too inappropriate to consider.

He and Clint weren’t like that.

Bucky must have dozed at least a little, enough that his eyes weren’t gritty the next morning. The light that intruded was soft and dappled, filtered as it was through the thick foliage of the forest. He was transfixed as it fell on Clint, bathing him in a golden radiance that took Bucky’s breath away.

He forced himself to stop staring, unwilling to make Clint uncomfortable with the gaze of an ex assassin when he woke. Instead, Bucky sat up, moved to the entrance of their little tree den and sat, leaning against the opening and peering out, taking in the movements of their hosts.

They were mostly small, with one or two exceptions, but all of them were beautiful and graceful. The white wolf he’d seen the day before walked beside an equally white haired Elf who – despite the color of his hair – looked quite young. Then again, most of these elves appeared to be fairly young looking. Did they simply stop aging? How long did they live?

The idle questions that would never be answered were Bucky’s way of attempting to distract himself from the low-grade headache that seemed to be intensifying the longer he was here.

What if it was the planet? What if he wasn't the only one suffering? Should he speak up? No, probably no need. If it  _ was  _ affecting the others, then odds were good the others would speak up, because they were probably in  _ more  _ pain than either Bucky or Steve.

Who knew about Thor, with his Asgardian make up.

The elves and their wolves were beautiful to watch but unnerving, too. The sounds they made were few. They talked, but not often and not loud. Bucky didn’t think it was a concern of being overheard, not when none of them except Thor had been able to understand them yet. But rather, it was just the way they were.

The white wolf broke away from the silver haired elf and angled towards Bucky. The elf she’d abandoned turned a betrayed look in their direction as the wolf padded over, and Bucky shrugged apologetically as she sat down next to him, her tongue lolling out as she met his eyes.

As before, he was struck by the idea that this wolf was far more than she seemed. What that could possibly be, he was unsure, and why she had chosen to come to his side, Bucky was even more unsure of.

A chin propped on his shoulder suddenly and Bucky tensed before the weight on him yawned and smacked his lips together. “Oh man, I’m exhausted. Worst night of sleep in a long time. Oh, hey! You’ve met your name sake,” Clint said. Bucky could almost  _ feel  _ Clint’s smile as he continued to drape over Bucky’s shoulder tiredly.

Bucky refrained from reminding Clint that he’d met the white wolf the previous day. Clint wouldn’t hear him anyway, and he liked the way the other man was draped over him. He tried not to flush under the knowing gaze of the wolf.

Thor had intimated that she was something more, and the elves and other wolves seemed to treat her with a strange reverence. It had not escaped his attention that her easy acceptance seemed to go a great deal towards the good treatment the elves had brought to bear.

“Dude, are you seriously in a staring match with a  _ wolf?”  _ Clint snorted into his ear before moving off of Bucky. Bucky felt the loss of Clint’s weight and warmth keenly. The wolf opened her mouth in what was  _ definitely  _ a wolfy grin. “Cause I hear that’s not a really good idea.”

Clint stretched, arms over his head and back popping before he sighed and sat heavily next to Bucky on the bit of tree root that seemed exposed and curved just perfectly for a seat – having seen Redlance at his craft, Bucky had a feeling it was on purpose.

A few seconds later, the white wolf abruptly stood. And stepped closer. He straightened his back as she got nearer and nearer, his nerves ratcheting up as she didn’t stop. But there was no aggression in her movements so Bucky held himself as still as he could.

Stopping just before him, the wolf set her paws on his knees and leaned in, her nose snuffling his face.

He held his breath.

She licked his face.

Clint fell off the branch seat giggling.


	4. Chapter 3 – Voices

##  Clint 

* * *

Despite the morning's good humor, Clint hadn’t been exaggerating when he’d said he’d slept terribly. His head had ached all night with a strange sense of pressure. Not quite pain but too persistent to ignore. Like the way his knees ached sometimes. Minor but ever present, and the more annoying it got the longer it lingered.

It felt a lot like knowing the people around you were talking without being able to hear anything intelligible. His ears weren’t completely gone, after all, and the sensation was frustrating as hell.

Breakfast was a strange affair – a combination of rations they’d rescued from the ship and the offerings of raw meat from the elves. At least the elves had let them make a  _ small  _ fire for the use of cooking the meat, after Thor had explained the raw meat would make (most of) them sick.

Their chief, Cutter, had explained that the fire needed to stay small and brief and only during the daytime hours. The whole tribe had looked far too somber as Thor relayed the words.

There was a bad experience there, for certain.

Throughout the morning, Steve and Tony talked, Thor chiming in, but Clint didn’t bother trying. The pressure in his head was getting stronger and all he could think about was Loki.

Loki was out there, somewhere.

Even though Clint knew that without the scepter, Loki  _ couldn’t  _ control him again, he couldn’t hold back the shiver of fear that said he  _ could. _

And the whole time, they were being watched.

Most of the Wolfriders kept staring at them, their curiosity overt with every caught gaze while their wolves treaded closer than Clint  liked. The rest ignored Clint and the others like they were beneath noticing.

Both those things were okay in his book. Curiosity was normal, and mostly harmless. Unless you were a mad scientist with no one holding you in check. (Clint is mostly not looking at Tony when he thinks that).

What was getting to him was the full on malevolence he could feel but not see. Someone who was watching them, distrusting them to an enormous degree.

Clint scanned the fairytale-like clearing, not only filled with elves but with bright colored pixie-like fairy creatures that flitted about the air that he hadn’t noticed the night before. Maybe it had been too dark. Maybe they’d been in hiding. Or both.

His fingers twitched and clutched at his thighs. He wanted to rub at his temples, hold his head and scream from the buildup of pressure but didn’t want to appear weak in front of whoever had them in his sights.

He felt like a sitting duck.

Nat joined him and Clint straightened up.

“Coming to check on me?” He didn’t think he kept the snark out of his voice.

“I’m bored,” she said with a shrug. Clint was grateful she signed the words because he couldn’t focus well enough to lip read even such a simple sentence.

“I heard you shacked up with Thor last night,” Clint said, in an effort to distract himself.

She rolled her eyes. “You’re a dirty little gossip, Hawkeye.”

“Not much else to do right now,” Clint said, sighing. His eyes drifted off towards where Bucky leaned heavily against a tree – the same one that held their den – his eyes closed, but his body tense. Clint didn’t think he’d slept well either.

“I’m not pairing up with Thor,” Nat said finally. “Even if I  _ was _ interested, his devotion to another is very strong.”

“Jane?”

“Maybe,” she said. “Anyway, Bucky was worried about you. I thought it’d do the both of you good if you could keep an eye on each other.”

Clint looked at her in betrayal. “Nat! How could you! I told you - “ he paused and looked around, switching to sign, in case he was too loud. He might be. He couldn’t hear himself, after all, the vibrations of his words his only evidence.  _ I told you those things in confidence. _

_ I swear, I work with a bunch of blind, stubborn, idiots,  _ she signed back. _ You and Bucky, Tony and Steve. _

_ I don’t know. I think they may have worked that out,  _ Clint said, smirking over at how close Steve and Tony were sitting, how Steve hovered around Tony.

She shifted suddenly and he followed her gaze, to see two kids, one red haired and one brightly blonde, a little wolf cub at their heels, looking over at them uncertainly but highly curious.

Natasha’s mouth moved, at the exact wrong angle to pick up but Clint could imagine what she was saying. She had a soft spot for little ones – even had a standing engagement to come home with him to his brother's whenever she wanted, where she was like an aunt to his niece and nephews.

She leaned forward, holding out a hand –

The kids approached -

And a burst of raw anger hit Clint that wasn’t  _ his  _ and he lurched to his feet, eyes wide –

*Someone get those cubs away from the  _ humans!* _

Clint stumbled, breathing hard, looking around frantically.

*Why we didn’t just kill them when we had the chance, I’ll never know.*

“What?” Clint croaked, whirling.

*Instead we welcome them into our  _ home.* _

Nat grabbed Clint’s wrist and turned him to face her, concern written large over her face. She let go, lifting her hands.  _ Clint, what’s wrong? _

“Somebody… somebody’s in my head,” Clint said in rising horror. “Someone’s in my  _ head!” _

_ * _ What was Cutter _ thinking?* _

Clint tore himself away from Nat, scanning, scanning, scanning the trees, following a  _ feeling  _ off the words. Growling, he stalked towards one of the misshapen trees, no difference he could see between it and the next, but being drawn towards it regardless.

“Who the  _ fuck  _ is in my head?” Clint snapped, ripping a knife out of one his sheaths. He didn’t carry as many blades as Nat and certainly not as many as Bucky, but he always had a blade or two on his person.

A figure dropped from the tree, lithe, auburn hair, tan clothes, bow on his back. He landed lightly before Clint and straightened, more than 2 feet shorter than Clint and glaring up at him defiantly, arms crossed over his chest. A wolf stalked over to his side and glared in tandem with the elven archer.

“Is it you?” Clint snarled. “GET OUT OF MY HEAD!”

*Stupid, murderous humans.*

Clint wanted to lunge forward and do something that was definitely  _ not  _ diplomatic.

There was a reason he wasn’t in charge of this outfit.

He shifted on his feet, took a step forward – to do what, he wasn’t even sure – when arms grabbed him and pulled him back. Then the archer’s face snapped away from Clint and he was glaring at someone else. Cutter was there then, then the healer, the kids hovering around them and – of course, they were the kids of the chief and the healer.

Steve stepped between them, blocking Clint’s view and Clint shook his head. “No good, Cap. Can’t hear you, and my focus is too shot to read your lips.” He tried to glare around Steve at the archer again. “For  _ some  _ reason, I’ve had a nasty little headache all night. And now there’s someone in my head!”

Steve faltered, looking to the side, then stepping away to give Nat space. She gave him a sympathetic, understanding smile as she signed for him, and spoke for the benefit of the others.

## BUCKY

* * *

Bucky hadn’t been expecting it when Clint snapped.

But when he heard  _ why  _ Clint snapped, his blood ran cold.

He stood frozen as he watched Steve, Tony and Thor grab Clint, preventing him from attacking one of their hosts. Natasha was right behind them, ready to translate. Elves gathered, dropping silently from trees, popping magically out of the brush and coming to form a united front.

“-someone in my head!” Clint shouted, though he’d stopped struggling. Bucky couldn’t breathe and the pressure in his own head - pressure verging on too much, on almost pain, the pressure that had kept him awake all night - increased. Like indistinct voices in a large room. Many voices. He stumbled forward, tripping on nothing, till he could fall into Steve and grab his shoulder.

“Steve,” he gasped. “Clint’s right. They’re in our  _ heads.” _

“Bucky?” Steve said, concern in his voice as he reached for Bucky and steadied him.

_ “In our heads, Stevie,”  _ Bucky snarled through gritted teeth _. “Get them out.” _

“Thor –“ Steve said, turning to the god.

Thor nodded, giving Clint and Bucky sad looks. “I will speak with them.” He turned, addressing the chief. “Chief Cutter. Are you and your kind mindspeakers?”

Cutter must have spoken in the affirmative, Bucky’s brain catching the word and automatically cataloging it for later.

“I’m afraid that your mind speech is causing two of our companions distress.”

The elves shifted and looked around at each other – and the pressure in Bucky’s brain increased  _ again  _ almost resolving into words but not quite there. It was  _ maddening. _

He fell to his knees, pressing the heel of his hand against his head, thoughts of the chair coming back to him, overwhelming him –

Then Clint was beside him, hands cupping his face. “Breathe, Bucky.”

“I –“ Bucky choked.

Around them was still a cacophony and Bucky could no longer pick out what was in his head and what was not. He heard Thor saying, “Our Hawk is usually a most friendly man, but I confess that he is not himself just now. I fear my brother used him terribly, invading his mind and making him do the most dreadful actions. And our White Wolf has also had similar bad experiences, terrible deeds acted upon him that would have broken lesser men. Their minds were tampered with, and so finding your voices thrust upon them so suddenly – it is likely reminding them too much of the trials they have endured.”

The voices broke in his head, babbling about  _ humans _ and  _ sending  _ and  _ how is this possible _ until one voice shouted above the rest.

*Quiet!*

Another hand touched Bucky, small, and light and warm. Something in him eased and he slumped forward into Clint who caught him easily. He took a few, shuddering breaths, then pushed himself back shakily.

The healer, Leetah, was crouched beside him. After he met her eyes, she nodded, turned to Clint and ran a hand over Clint’s temple. He shivered, closing his eyes against the touch but he didn’t bolt.

His hands grew tense on Bucky’s face though and Bucky slid his down to grasp one of Clint’s, giving it a squeeze. He opened his eyes and stared at Bucky and she pulled her hands away from both of them, standing.

When she moved, Cutter was there in her place, the healer leaning in to him briefly before making room for him.

*Our apologies.* The voice hit his mind and Bucky’s eyes widened. Beside him, Clint made a strangled sound. *We’ve never met humans who could hear our Sending before. I am afraid that asking us to stop talking like this would be difficult. It is our preferred way. Safer. And Strongbow never speaks aloud if he can help it. Leetah says you’re hearing  _ everything _ , even our private sends, the discordance in your minds clear for her to read. It was never our intent to cause any of you pain.*

Breathing unevenly himself, Clint looked at Bucky with desperate resignation. “We can’t ask them to just stop talking. That isn’t fair.”

Bucky groaned, closing his eyes and letting his head fall forward into Clint’s with a gentle tap.

“How is this even  _ happening?” _

Clint sighed. “I don’t know,” he said, then froze. He yanked back from Bucky in horror, Bucky staring at him in confusion, mourning the loss of his proximity, his warmth and strength. “I heard that. How’d I hear that?”

“Oh god,” Bucky breathed. “You mean,  _ I’m _ in your head  _ too?” _

Clint smiled wryly. “Looks that way, Buck.” Clint stood, offering his hand to Bucky who accepted it, allowing Clint to pull him to his feet. Around them, the elves were staring in shock, the Avengers shaking their heads.

“The two of you are telepathic now?” Tony said thoughtfully. “Huh.” Clint stared at him blankly. “Ooookay. So you can hear the elves and Bucky, but nobody else.  _ That’s  _ interesting.”

Bucky hummed. “Same goes for me, Tony. Last I checked, that’s not how telepathy works.” 

“But I’m  _ not _ telepathic. They weren’t even _ trying _ to ‘send’ to us. Not like when Wanda has to…” Clint waved his hand around in the air. “Do what she does. There’s no way we can just overhear them. Or each other.”

“Agreed. Of all the things HYDRA did to me, getting telepathy was not one of them,” Bucky said. “So  _ why _ are we hearing them?” And how did he make it stop? It was too noisy in his head right now.

“If I were to guess,” Tony said. “It’s a frequency thing. There must be something about the two of you that makes you more receptive to  _ their _ frequency than you are to whatever one humans are on. Maybe you  _ were always  _ telepathic – or later events made you that way - but you weren’t in the right conditions to trigger it until now.”

Bucky looked at Stark warily. He wasn’t about to suggest what Bucky thought he was going to, right?

“You refer to the mind control they both suffered?” Thor asked. “Indeed, it is possible that it has left their minds a little more open -” Thor held up his hands when Bucky flinched, followed by Clint as Nat relayed Thor’s words to him. “- not to manipulation, just - as Friend Tony has suggested - causing you to be more receptive. In this case, this is a boon. Now I am not the only one who can converse with our hosts.” Thor beamed at them like this was good news but Clint was pale and Bucky didn’t blame him.

The idea that  _ anyone _ was in his head was, no matter how unintentional or well-meant it might be….

He shuddered.

Sure, having a way to better converse with Clint, of not having to rely on Thor for translations, was certainly a silver lining, and Bucky had been spending the past few years perfecting the search for silver linings wherever he could…

But he still didn’t like this.

##  STEVE 

* * *

Clint and Bucky were both quiet after the revelations that morning and Steve sighed as he watched them. He couldn’t blame them for feeling upset, or uneasy.

They stuck with each other, away from the others, only Nat daring to approach.

A hand pressed on his shoulder, slid down his arm and squeezed his hand before dropping away.

“Are you brooding again?”

“I don’t brood, Tony,” Steve said absently.

Tony snorted. “You’re such a liar. If brooding was an Olympic sport you’d take the gold.”

Steve turned, rolling his eyes. “I’m  _ not  _ brooding. I’m just…” he passed a hand over his face, then dropped it, looking around at the others. “I can’t see what we need. I’m not even properly seeing my own teammates, people I  _ care _ about. How can I be an effective leader if I can’t even - ”

“Oh, c’mon, don’t you dare beat yourself up for not knowing Clint’s deaf. He’s a  _ spy _ . Hiding things is what he  _ does,”  _ Tony said.

“That’s not all I didn’t notice, all in less than 24 hours,” Steve pointed out. “Their minds were being violated,  _ you  _ almost died. Tony –“

“Okay one, you  _ did  _ notice something was wrong with me, I kept blowing you off,” Tony interrupted. “And to be fair,  _ they  _ didn’t know what was wrong with them either until, like, seconds before Clint blurted it out.”

Tony tugged at him again and Steve let him turn him so they faced each other. Tony stared up at him intensely and it made Steve squirm and his breath stop. “Stop second guessing yourself. This team would fall apart without you. Or maybe that’s just me, I could be projecting. Either way, I’m not too far off the truth.”

“Tony –“ Steve caught the vulnerable look on Tony and felt his heart skip a beat.

“Steve,” Tony said softly. “Shut up and kiss me already, before  _ I  _ start second guessing myself.”

“Well, can’t have that, can I?” Steve said, quirking his lips up and ducking his head to catch Tony’s mouth in a soft kiss. The kiss turned into several, lingering kisses and Steve didn’t want to stop, ever, but he was far too aware of the many, many eyes around them and all the things he  _ needed  _ to be doing now.

Finally, he made himself pull away, watching Tony’s eyes flutter open, and a smirk forming on his well kissed mouth.

“So, Cap, what say you and I go find our little tree den and make out like a couple of teenagers.”

Steve blushed. “If we duck out like that, everyone is going to know exactly why.”

“Screw ‘em. I’ve been pining for an imaginably long time and we have a lot of kissing to make up for and I’d like to get started on that, sooner rather than later,” Tony said. “And I mean, it’s not like we have anything else to do right now.”

Shaking his head, Steve reluctantly said, “We need to find a way home. We need to find Loki. I’d say we have a couple really big things on our to do list right now.”

“Spoilsport,” Tony sighed, “But you’re not wrong. Let’s go talk to Cutter and his right hand man again. I had the feeling they had a lot more to say than they did last night.”

“I did too, as a matter of fact. Let’s gather the team together, just to keep everyone informed as much as possible.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Tony agreed. “One more kiss for the road?”

Steve laughed and said, “Sure.”

##  STRONGBOW

* * *

Strongbow glared from his place outside his den, on a branch high up in the tree. He’d made sure to keep all three of the humans' ground dens in his sight, his bow by his side. He hadn’t slept for two days and this would be his third night awake, but he didn’t plan to sleep until they were gone.

Six humans, unusual as they were, brought straight back to the Holt, to their  _ home.  _ Here they were, hiding from their neighbors and Cutter had just  _ let  _ these humans in.

Though Strongbow had to admit that they were unlike any he had ever met before. They were tall – some of them among the tallest he’d ever seen, in fact - and they weren’t as crude and ungainly, hadn’t behaved cravenly, their eyes not filled with fear and hatred.

But they were  _ humans. _

Okay, so the one human spoke the elfin tongue – Thor, he’d called himself - which Strongbow had never heard of before. And he claimed he wasn’t human, though he looked by all the High Ones like he was (and humans could not be trusted, so this one had to be lying, right?). But perhaps most strangely of all, was that Thor could fly like the gliders of Blue Mountain.

Humans did  _ not _ have magic. Any fool knew that. What humans had were superstitions that they claimed as magic, but there was no true magic running in their veins. Human, troll, preservers or elf, only one race held magic within them – elves.

And yet this Thor had magic. It was impossible. Strongbow’s mind whirled, unable to tear away from the pretty problem of the humans in their midst.

Thor and two others were as strong  _ or stronger _ than the trolls. Another impossible feat for a human. As for the rest, the female was filled with deadly grace, the tall archer a close second, and as for the last, well, Strongbow had no idea about him, but Leetah had come away from his healing disturbed, though she did not talk about it.

Strongbow’s thoughts flickered through each of the humans, settling on the last two, the pure impossibility of them.

The archer.

And the silver hand.

Strongbow still couldn’t believe his ears. Thor had said that they – Hawkeye and White Wolf – were hearing the elves when they Sent. No human  _ alive  _ could have done that. Not even some  _ elves  _ could and yet  _ these strangers  _ could? How fair was that? How did they get to take another thing from the elves as humans have tried to take their lives and their homes?

To be fair, though he did not want to be, the humans hadn’t looked like they’d  _ wanted  _ the ability to Send. Thor had said some things, some things that had struck far too close to home, reminding Strongbow of a time not long past when he’d endured a cruelty beyond even that of the humans. When he’d discovered that elves, too, could become twisted in ways that were most unseemly.

It had been a betrayal to everything he’d believed in for Winnowill to assault his mind like that. Not for the challenge – given and accepted, done and over – but on a whim, to cause him pain, to use him against the others.

She’d seen him as less. As inferior. As beneath even the humans that Strongbow had long despised.

A pale hand reached from inside the den, a soft step along the branch that he could feel more than hear, and then Moonshade was beside him, his rock, his love. He could not tear his eyes away from the humans' den, but he let his head tilt into her hand as she stroked his cheek.

*Wyl, you need to sleep,* she said, the Sending soft but firm, a contradiction Strongbow had never unraveled, though he’d spent countless years at her side.

*Humans walk freely in the Holt and you expect me to sleep?* he asked incredulously.

*Do you not trust Suntop?* she asked shrewdly. *For he said we should help them.*

*The trouble that cub has gotten us into – he follows in his father’s footsteps, that is certain,* Strongbow grumbled.

*Wyl,* she said more firmly. *Come to bed, beloved.*

He shook his head. *I must keep watch -*

*There are others who already do. Cutter may have welcomed them here, but even he is not so optimistic that he would forget lifetimes of the proof of human savagery. I may question his wisdom in letting them stay, as you do, but he  _ will  _ take steps to protect us. As chief, he can do no less.*

With a silent huff, Strongbow yielded to his lifemate’s wisdom, allowing her to draw him back into their own den, where they shed their clothes and their minds and bodies intertwined until he was able to lose himself enough to simply rest.

Strongbow did not know how long he slept, but he came awake with a gasp that had Moonshade awake and alert, a knife in her delicate but capable hands.

*What is it?* she asked, when no danger was forthcoming.

Shaking his head, Strongbow declined to comment, his back bowing as he let his head fall into his hands, elbows resting on his knees. He was breathing hard, he realized, as Moonshade draped an arm over his shoulders before sliding them to caress and knead the tense muscles there.

*My dreams,* he said, on a Sending so thin he wasn’t sure she caught it. *Were plagued by such things as I have no words for. Filled with horrors and pain, by guilt and fear – not my own but far too close for my liking.*

Her hands stilled.

*Thor said they suffered as I have suffered, at the hands of another, their minds and will taken from them.*

*Hawkeye and the White Wolf?* she asked. *You think their newfound Sending has invaded your dreams?* Horror colored her thoughts and Strongbow's stomach twisted with it.

*In this, I do not think they meant to,* he admitted. Flashes of the nightmares still played on in his mind, images and feelings sticking into corners and refusing to roll free.

A man in green with golden horns who used magic to take Hawkeye, turn him into something else, making the archer kill and kill and kill, all for some nebulous cause – power, control, worship through fear. Like Winnowill did in Blue Mountain where her word was absolute.

Strongbow shuddered.

There was a fall, a long, long fall into ice and snow and sharp, sharp pain, and healers who fixed up the White Wolf for their own gain, who made sure he felt every ounce of pain as they did – and then ripped his mind from him through years and years of torture until the man had forgotten who he was, using him for the same purposes –

To kill and kill and kill.

So  _ they  _ could gain power and control the actions of every man and woman their hands could touch. Then sent the broken man to kill his own family. Remembered anguish rolled through Strongbow, as did the punishment for every memory, though they weren’t  _ his  _ memories.

Humans were hateful, detestful, deceitful –

But in the memories of  _ these  _ humans, Strongbow also saw and felt other things: Love and caring, compassion, families. People who stood against the kind of humans Strongbow feared.

Because humans weren’t the only ones capable of deliberately causing harm and sowing hate, as Strongbow had learned to his great distress.

He pushed himself up, walking to the entrance of their den, staring out across the Holt, where one human stumbled out of his den looking wild and unsettled. Strongbow watched as Hawkeye darted away, skirting elves and wolves and humans alike, disappearing into the trees.

He stood there a long, long moment before sighing and reaching for his clothes.

_ Puckernuts. _

This was all Cutters fault anyway.

##  Clint 

* * *

Clint surged upward from the nightmare with a gasp he couldn’t hear, eyes staring into pitch darkness. The nightmares were nothing new. He’d been plagued with nightmares even  _ before  _ Loki. Loki had just added a whole other level to them.

This… had been even worse.

_ This  _ nightmare had been different than normal, all jumbled with bits and pieces that didn’t belong to him.

It had been filled with Loki, with the spear, with how the whole world had been tinged with blue as Clint had enacted his plans to help Loki with his.

It had been dreams of a metal arm from a perspective Clint didn’t have, of a torture device, a chair that Clint had never seen outside of photos in a file. There was screaming, and killings that he didn’t remember and mind numbing pain as his memories were ripped away.

And it had been dreams of a prison of thorns deep inside a mountain, and white-hot pain in his mind, of long black tresses - longer by far than Loki’s, hair that reached the ground and even further still - and piercing green eyes that swallowed the face and dominated the mind.

In each dream Clint’s and not-Clint's will had been subsumed by another’s, their minds invaded, their very selves violated.

He wiped a hand down his face. 

Those hadn’t just been his dreams. Because of course the fuck not. Because now Clint could hear voices in his head, so of course he could see their dreams too.

His and Bucky's were obvious, and god, did Clint’s heart hurt for Bucky. He knew he’d been through so much, but to endure that torture for 70 years or however long it was between all the missions and being stored on ice… it was heartbreaking to the extreme.

But who was the third?

Considering the only other people Clint could ‘hear’ now were elves, that was about the only thing he was certain of. But seeing through the eyes of this third victim meant Clint had no idea as to who had suffered at the hands of that other elf, but the anger that pulsed through him was familiar.

It was the same anger Clint felt at Loki.

At himself for failing to put a stop to Loki.

Beside him, Bucky stirred and Clint’s stomach flipped. He couldn’t face Bucky with all that grief, fear and pain still fresh in his mind. Didn’t want to talk to Bucky as the man tried to be understanding of what Clint went through. And it was inevitable that he’d want to try and figure out whose dream they’d shared, because if Clint saw their dreams, then god knows what they’d seen of his.

So he did the cowardly thing - he rolled to his feet, grabbed his bow, and ran. He stumbled out of the tree den, just barely keeping his head down far enough to avoid clocking it into the tree on his way out.

Bucky could have called to him in his head, Clint knew, but either Bucky hadn’t bothered, or he’d forgotten and Clint got away clean. The buzzing in his head – the words  _ not  _ meant for him, which he’d quickly found felt and sounded different than the words that  _ were -  _ almost resolved into words, but his head was too full from the nightmare to let it be anything other than noise, noise, noise. Loads of overwhelming noise.

Clint strode out of the clearing as if Loki himself were on his heels – which wasn’t too far from the truth, with the way he was running havoc in his head - past the trees housing elves, and kept walking until he found the stream from the first day, the part that was allowed within the wall of thorns. He knelt beside it, splashing the cold water on his face to shock himself out of it. Without knowing why, trusting his instincts, he whirled, bow out and ready in an instant, only to find that the archer elf had followed him. Strongbow.

Strongbow stared at Clint, then at the bow, with a stoic face. Looking straight into Clint’s eyes, the elf spoke to his mind.

*I thought you were deaf. That’s twice you’ve homed in on me, like a dove for its nest.*

*And yet I still hear you,* Clint retorted with bitterness tinging the words, putting the bow away.

It wasn’t Strongbow’s fault that Clint could hear him, he reminded himself. Nor was Strongbow’s anger and hatred towards humans unjustified.

The meeting with Cutter and a few select others had been enlightening. The accident that had driven the ancestors of the elves and two other races to ground here on a world that drained their magics was scarily similar to that which had taken down the Avengers ship. Probably the same thing, but in all that time, no one had any clue as to what it had been, other than the planet itself. How would they ever leave?

Almost as an afterthought, they had mentioned the fire that had burned down the Holt – what the Wolfriders called their tree dwellings – that started them on the path to learn their true pasts and find others of their kind, the telling of which explained at least some of Strongbow’s hatred of humans.

Clint had a feeling there was still more that he didn’t know. But instead of being angry with him, Clint now felt a kinship.

Come to think of it, the flavor of the anger in the dreams had been familiar – for more than the fact that Clint had suffered the same, but also because he’d felt  _ that  _ person’s anger before.

Strongbow’s.

It was Strongbow’s nightmares that had invaded his and Bucky’s dreams last night.

The elf actually snorted at Clint’s comment, then strode closer to Clint to crouch beside him. Clint took a breath and looked away from him.

*You don’t like Sending.*

*I don’t like  _ anyone  _ in my head, especially against my wishes. Didn’t Thor tell you?* Clint was sure he had, and was suddenly glad he hadn’t heard. *Besides. I’m sure you saw my dreams. You saw  _ everything,  _ whether I wanted you to or not. _ * _

*Then keep me out.* The tone of his mind voice was matter of fact, as if it were such a simple thing to do. Maybe for  _ him _ , having grown up with telepathy. But Clint had had it for less than 24 hours. There was no way he could just  _ do  _ that.

Clint twisted to gape at him. Strongbow twisted too, his eyes full of challenge.

*You don’t think I didn’t try?* Clint demanded, hands balling into fists, thinking of Loki, of blue, of how he’d screamed in his own head and nothing had changed.

*So learn. I never thought a human could even Send, but you’re not the same as the humans here. And, if you can do that, then you can learn.*

*How?*

*Like this.*

Clint gasped, falling from his crouch onto his ass as the sudden assault unbalanced him physically, but when he finally calmed himself, he noticed that Strongbow hadn’t actually invaded. Instead he paced around the walls of Clint’s mind and poked at the cracks.

*You already have walls. You need to find the cracks and shore them up. Create only the openings you  _ want  _ to have,  _ when  _ you want them.* Strongbow was suddenly in his face. *I can let you bumble around looking for them, or I can teach you.*

*You don’t even like us,* Clint protested weakly from his sprawl on the forest floor.

*I like you in my head even less, and since I’m the best in this tribe, you’re stuck with me.*

*Fair enough,* Clint conceded. He took a deep breath and tried to center himself, before opening his eyes and giving Strongbow a nod. *Okay, let’s get cracking.*


	5. Chapter 4 - Truth

##  Bucky 

* * *

Bucky watched Clint stagger out of the tree den and debated following him, but he was feeling off-balance. He knew Clint preferred space when he needed to think and they’d had a lot of stuff thrown at them these past few days, especially him and Clint. So Bucky held back. He’d give Clint a little bit before he followed and, in the meantime…

He sat up and rubbed his head in his hand, the other still strapped to his body like useless dead weight.

His dreams… they’d been of more than his own usual brand of nightmares. Parts of them had been tinged blue, had held familiar sights, familiar faces and yet Bucky knew he’d never been a part of those things. They’d been what happened to  _ Clint. _

None of the Avengers really talked about the leadup to New York, of the formation of the team. If the nightmares weren’t exaggerated, then Bucky finally knew why.

No wonder Clint – even as all of them had been welcoming and had helped Bucky in one form or another – always seemed to  _ understand  _ better than most. Of the rest, only Natasha came close in that regard, her shared history with Bucky bringing a different understanding that no one else could compare with.

It… explained a lot, actually.

It didn’t explain the  _ third  _ set of images and emotions that had tangled with his and Clint’s. None of it was familiar and he was certain that it was one of the Wolfriders, but damned if he knew which one.

Pushing to his feet, he finally dared to carefully duck out of the den he’d been sharing with Hawkeye. A quick glance over the clearing showed no sign of Clint, not that he’d expected any. There were elves and those little flyers about, if you had keen sight and knew how to look. It was still dark enough that others would have trouble spotting the graceful figures flitting about through the branches, but Bucky had always had better eyes than most, which had only improved further after he’d been given HYDRA's bastardized serum.

Flicking another look around the Holt, Bucky resolutely set off in a direction, only to have Timmain blocking his way. The white wolf nudged him back and back and he frowned.

*Stop,* he Sent to the wolf. Well, tried. He still wasn’t sure he was successful. It didn’t seem as easy to send to wolves as it was to the elves, but there was something not quite wolf about her.

High One, Cutter had said. One of the first elves, the last remaining survivor of their own great tragedy, who’d found a form to survive in and taught her children a new way, a new path.

She pushed at him again, grabbing his sleeve with her teeth and giving him a tug in a different direction. He reflected for a moment that he didn’t  _ really  _ know which way Clint had gone so one direction was as good as another.

*Fine, have it your way* he Sent. She promptly let go of his sleeve and bounded off a few steps, stopping to stare back at him. All around him was silence – no different than before except there was a weight behind it – as the Wolfriders watched him follow Timmain out into the trees.

There was a whisper between his ears but he was getting a little better at shutting them out. Feeling proud, he kept pace with Timmain and hoped he wasn’t making a mistake.

Timmain did not steer him wrong. He found Clint with – of all people – Strongbow. The archer’s animosity the day before would have had Bucky believing Strongbow would be the last person – er, elf – that would willingly be around any of the Avengers.

Bucky stopped a few feet away, watching the strange staring match Clint and Strongbow had going, sweat dripping down Clint’s face. With a gasp, Clint reeled back and shook his head.

“This isn’t working,” he growled, shoving to his feet and taking a few steps away from Strongbow, freezing when he saw Bucky. Bucky gave him a small smile and a little wave.

“What are the two of you doing?” Bucky Sent out clumsily, hoping it was just going to Clint and Strongbow and not over the entire Wolfrider network or whatever. He’d learned yesterday that if he spoke aloud it made his own Sendings clearer.

“Teaching me how to control this so I can keep people out when I want to,” Clint said.  _ *But it’s not working.* _

*It is. And it can,* Strongbow Sent, nodding at Bucky. *He can do it. You’re wide open and projecting  _ everywhere. * _

“If I have any control over this, then I suspect I wouldn’t recommend he learn how I did.”

“HYDRA?” Clint asked. Bucky nodded and then reeled back, choking as anger swamped him, anger that wasn’t his. His hand flew to his head and he stared at Clint, tried to tell him it was okay – well, it wasn’t okay, but it was  _ over  _ and in the past -

*Lock it down, if you bring her down on us –* Strongbow glared at Clint, stalking up to him with his fists clenched.

“Bring  _ who  _ down on you? Hmm…? Is this somebody I should be making an acquaintance with, then?” A voice broke over them, echoed in all their heads, causing all four of them to react - even Timmain who had been lounging about, largely ignoring the goings on - but none worse than Clint.

“Clint, no!” Bucky reached for him as Clint whirled and nocked his bow, aiming for Loki’s heart. The stony expression on Clint’s face was betrayed by the screaming in his skull, careening into Bucky’s mind once more as a burst of fear, panic and anger.

And determination.

Clint growled when Bucky’s hand pushed the bow down. “Let me shoot him, Buck! He deserves it!”

“He’s still Thor’s brother,” Bucky reminded him. “I don’t like it either, but you can’t kill him.”

“Fine, I’ll just maim him a little bit,” Clint snarled back. Bucky snorted.

“You can try, but I doubt you’ll be any more successful than you were the last time,” Loki said, his voice echoing in Bucky’s head and oh, he did  _ not  _ like that. It was bad enough to have strangers, or even people he  _ liked _ , but to have him, this man who had hurt Clint and so many others, who had taken Clint’s agency away from him as surely as HYDRA had taken Bucky’s…

“I may still let him. Get out of our heads!” Bucky growled back.

“But how else will the archer hear me?” Loki asked with a smirk, but his voice stayed out of Bucky’s head and he raised his hands, making no other movements. Beside them, Strongbow had shifted and Bucky saw he now had 2 archers to worry about turning Loki into a pincushion – and he wasn’t altogether certain he shouldn’t let them. Loki, however, appeared alarmingly unconcerned.

*Who is this snake?* Strongbow asked.

“Loki, Thor’s brother,” Bucky Sent back. “He’s the one we’re looking for.”

“I wouldn’t put it past him to have ‘arranged’ our crash here,” Clint snapped.

“I am flattered in your belief of my abilities,” Loki said, arms spread wide – Bucky silently repeating his words for Clint’s benefit since Loki had listened and wasn’t projecting his words into their heads anymore – “But even I couldn’t have pulled your ship from the sky. I’m an illusionist, nothing more.”

“Somehow,” Bucky drawled, “I highly doubt that.”

“Fair enough. I could be lying,” Loki said. “In fact, you shouldn’t give me a chance at all, you should be killing me on sight. Who knows what I will do to you? You  _ should _ let the archer kill me.”

“And create a rift between Thor and the rest of the team? Nice try.” Bucky let his hand slip off the bow and clasp Clint’s shoulder, giving it a supportive squeeze.

“You’re not worth it.” As Clint spoke, Bucky could hear people coming through the trees. Something flew past him in a blur of red. The others had arrived at last. Either they’d heard the commotion or Strongbow had called one of his tribe and they’d told Thor.

Loki’s eyes flickered at Clint’s words and Bucky found himself reeling back in surprise before Thor landed between them and cut off his view of the trickster god.

Had that been despair? What…was going on?

“Brother,” Thor thundered. Was moderation even a word on Asgard? Because Bucky didn’t think he’d ever heard Thor talk softly. “I am glad to see you here willingly. Are you ready to come home with me to Asgard and to our mother and father?”

“I can’t go home, Thor. It is far too late for me. And they are not my parents, and you are  _ not  _ my brother.”

“Are we not? We were raised together, played and fought together. You will always be a brother in mine eyes.”

Bucky couldn’t believe Thor. Was he really that naïve? Clint stood stock still, arrow unwavering but Bucky could feel a fine tremor in his shoulder before Clint locked it down.

“We are  _ not  _ brothers!” Loki yelled suddenly, hands going to his sides in clenched fists. “I am a monster, the tale told to children to make them afraid and behave like good little Asgardians. All I have done is live up to the tales that have been told. Is that not my destiny?”

He stalked towards Thor and Bucky shifted, waiting for a sign on what to do, watched for an opening to hold the god and recapture him. Could they even do that without Tony’s tech?

“I was never _really_ wanted. Not even the _monsters_ wanted me –“ Loki’s skin rippled and shimmered and the pale skin turned blue. “Our ‘ _father_ ’ found me as a babe, abandoned and tossed aside like _trash!_ Let us just end this, put all of us out of our miseries and me out of mine! _”_

“I have ever wanted you at my side, Loki. I love you. I have loved you and will always love you. That will not change,” Thor said, Loki staring in disbelief, something flickering over his face that Bucky couldn’t quite pin down but was unsettling him deeply. There was something wrong here. Bucky frowned at Loki. The frown deepened as the healer slid into his view and approached the gods. She rounded Thor and approached Loki and he flinched back, hope and fear mingling across his face.

“Leetah!” the chief, Cutter, called out, startling all the gathered Avengers except Clint.

“What’s going on?” Clint whispered, the words echoing in Bucky’s head.

In Strongbow’s too, since he answered Clint without prompting.

*She wants to heal his mind. He has been touched by a darkness -* Strongbow glanced away from Loki to look at Bucky and Clint. *Like you both were.*

“Can she do that?” Bucky asked.

*She tried once before, but the she-snake had been unwilling to allow the healing. She threw herself down into the mountain rather than accept Leetah’s help.*

Bucky whistled lowly and then cut his attention back to Clint as the man suddenly snapped his bow shut and spun about.

“Are you okay?” Bucky asked in alarm. A mass of roiling emotions, too thick and cluttered to pick apart, hit him before abruptly cutting off.

Choking, Clint said, “I can’t…” he shuddered and shouldered past Bucky, storming off past the others that had gathered silently behind them, bearing witness to Clint’s pain and Loki’s…whatever.

##  Steve 

* * *

Steve looked at Bucky with sympathy and nodded at Cint, raising his brow. “Are you going after him?” Steve asked softly.

“Of course I am,” Bucky snapped. Then sighed. “I just don’t know how to make this better.”

“There might not be a way to do that,” Steve said. “Sometimes, all we can do is try, or be there.” Bucky rolled his eyes at him, but he went after Clint, silent as a shadow, slipping off between the trees.

The elven archer caught his eyes as Steve looked forward again, and Steve shrugged, not sure what Strongbow was asking.

Then Strongbow was looking at his chief and the silent communing happened that tickled the edges of Steve’s senses, like he could  _ almost  _ get the sense of it. For the sake of communication, he wished he could, but was just as glad not to have strangers in his mind the way Bucky and Clint currently had.

At least they also had each other, right?

The archer suddenly moved, quieter even then Bucky, vaulting up onto the back of his brown wolf and melting away into the trees quicker and more thoroughly than Bucky or Clint had.

“I hate not knowing what’s going on,” Tony muttered from beside Steve.

“You and me both.”

Even as the words left Steve’s mouth, Loki nodded at Leetah and the tiny elven woman reached for him while Thor beamed proudly and hopefully at them both.

“She’s healing his mind,” Thor said, softer than any other time Steve had heard him speak. “She says there has been influence on him –“

“The scepter?” Steve asked.

“Nay, it goes further back than that. Back to when we were mere children. There was a whisper from his own mind that left him vulnerable to an outside influence. He was preyed upon, and the whispers nurtured, twisting him up inside.”

Thor turned suddenly, a sad smile on his face. “Then New Mexico happened and Loki fell, becoming more vulnerable still – and that was when the scepter took his mind as it did Hawkeye’s and Selvig’s.”

“You’re saying…” Tony said slowly. “That Loki was no more responsible for NY than our Katniss was?”

Thor nodded.

“No wonder Clint took off. That… that’s gonna tangle him up some,” Tony said.

Thor opened his mouth but then a keening cry ripped through the air. Steve’s attention snapped back to Loki, ready for a fight, for a betrayal, but found only Loki collapsing to the ground. Thor rushed forward, catching him in his arms.

“I’ve got you, brother.”

“I’m sorry,” Loki gasped, tears streaming from his eyes, his face filled with pure anguish and shame. “Thor, brother, I am more sorry than I could ever say. For what I have done – “

“Nay, none of it was your fault,” Thor said gently. “As I knew it was not.”

“But I was weak –“

“We were children, Loki. Even with Odin as our father, all children are susceptible to the dangers around them, more so when there is belief that they are untouchable, simply for who they are.” Their voices dropped to a murmur that even Steve couldn’t hear unless he strained and suddenly, he didn’t want to even try. He was exhausted, and their pain should be private as they worked through it.

“Jesus. I feel like we’re intruding on something very personal here,” Tony muttered, bumping into Steve, echoing Steve’s thoughts. He, Steve noted, was just as unnerved as Steve was. Perhaps more, actually. Tony had come the closest to dying that day of all of them and the thought of losing Tony was something that Steve couldn’t bear, never mind that the danger was long gone.

There would always be new dangers to face.

##  Strongbow 

* * *

Strongbow’s world had rearranged itself in many, drastic ways since Cutter had become chief of the Wolfriders at the tender age of nearly 15 turns of the seasons. You would think Strongbow would be used to the upheavals by now, the deviations from ‘The Way’ that he’d lived his entire life by.

One incontrovertible thing had been the crude barbarity and malicious duplicitousness of humans, one and all.

He’d seen that belief challenged at Blue Mountain when he’d found that even elves were capable of such evil when he’d spent days as a captive of the she-snake, Winnowill, who had tortured his mind for the sheer pleasure of it and had used him as leverage against his own tribe.

Then she’d had the temerity to kidnap his chief's cubs.

The raw ‘wrongness’ of Winnowill haunted his dreams, still too fresh. Then to find out the humans had a right to believe the elves were usurpers –

This world wasn’t even  _ their _ world. The High Ones had come from another place, a world now lost to the mists of time and memory so far gone that even Savah didn’t remember, she who was the Mother of Memory.

To know that he held anything in common with these humans – who were unlike any humans he’d ever known – had rankled and bitten at Strongbow from the start.

It was when their nightmares intruded on his, as one of the strongest at sending in the entire tribe, that he’d begun to crack and thaw like the ice in spring.

These humans were  _ not  _ like the ones of this world. And two of them, at least, had suffered even worse than Strongbow had.

Because even Winnowill had been unable to sap his will away.

Tortures of the mind, but not to his soul.

One was bad enough. These two were made of stern stuff to bear up under the weight of both.

When they – Clint and Bucky, who were also known as Hawkeye and White Wolf, which were more Wolfrider style names than human (were Clint and Bucky their soul names? And if so, then why did they share it with strangers? Why would they give others that sort of power? It made Strongbow uncomfortable to use them) – left the clearing that Strongbow had, until Loki’s appearance, been giving a lesson in Sending in, Strongbow looked to  _ their  _ blond headed chief.

Steve met his eyes, looking a little lost, even as he’d encouraged White Wolf to go after their tribe’s archer. His actions had been clear, even if the human’s words were lost on Strongbow. Hawkeye’s nightmare sobbed a few feet away as Leetah stepped back and Strongbow came to a decision.

Whatever other humans were like, these were clearly an exception. They were almost elf like, in some ways, and he felt a pull towards them, especially towards White Wolf and Hawkeye. He called Briersting  to his side and went after the two recently departed humans, easily tracking them through the trees.

*Wyl, what is it?* Moonshade called to him, concern coloring her Sending.

*I’m going after them, see if there are any words I can offer.*

Shocked amusement hit him. *Since when did you start taking humans under your wing?*

*Since now, apparently,* Strongbow sent back with irritated resignation. Not irritated with his lifemate, never that, but with himself. Who even was he, to consider such a thing?

He found them not too far off, Hawkeye held in the comfort of White Wolf’s single arm, the other still tied down to his side, made of bright metal like the Troll forged swords. The ones made by Two-Edge, that mad half elf, half troll. Another tortured soul. Another reason to hate Winnowill.

Strongbow crouched before the two humans. *For a human, you catch on fast* he Sent. *I barely caught anything as you left, your turmoil was your own.* Strongbow let his approval flavor his Sending. The two looked over at him in surprise, Hawkeye jerking back, still wound up too much, most likely.

“You don’t think much of humans, do you?”

*I’ve never been given cause to think better of them, till now,* Strongbow admitted. He knew what Cutter had told them, just as he knew what Cutter had  _ not  _ told the humans, because  _ Cutter  _ did not know about Strongbow and Moonshade’s firstborn and her tragic end.

“Why did you follow us?” White Wolf asked.

*We all have our demons,* Strongbow said. He let flashes of Winnowill filter through their minds and a hint of the agony she had put him and the whole tribe through. *If that she-snake were before me now, I would tear her throat out!* Strongbow bared his teeth and growled, watching as the humans eyes grew wide and one shivered at his ferocity. Good. They should know he still had teeth, even if he were befriending them.

“Was she the one that refused the healing?” Hawkeye asked. “Doesn’t that mean there was something wrong with her as there was with Loki and we should…forgive?” His lips twisted up in a pained grimace.

*If she had not refused the healing,* Strongbow said. *I would have given that due consideration. But she did, and as long as she is a danger to me or mine, I will protect, even if that means killing her. She made her choice, and so I make mine.*

Hawkeye turned away, as filled with turmoil as Strongbow had seen his chief on many occasions, most especially the past few years. And Strongbow hadn’t made it easy on him, he knew, nor was this an easy thing now.

*I cannot tell you how to feel,* Strongbow Sent, weighing the words carefully. *Nor would I even suggest that you forget the wrong the snake has done to you. Forgive or not as you will, but you are  _ allowed  _ to be angry, still, as he is allowed to be angry at whoever has wronged  _ him _ .*

Strongbow shifted. *But do not let the wound fester, or it will do you further harm.*

Timmain padded over to the humans and twined around their legs and Strongbow was struck by a sudden curiosity, as well as a way to break the tension, as he stared at the white wolf and at the human known as White Wolf.

*Why are you called White Wolf?* he asked suddenly. *And why do you tell strangers your soul names? Use them aloud where anyone can hear? Soul names give others power over you.*

White Wolf blushed and Hawkeye laughed, and as Strongbow had intended, the tension flowed away like water on the back of waterfowl.

“I didn’t pick it,” White Wolf said. *It was given to me, by the people who helped put me back together. I was alone in their land, and not one of them, but they welcomed me all the same. I owe them… so much.”

“As for a soul name, we don’t know what you’re talking about,” Hawkeye said. From the Sending, Strongbow could feel his genuine confusion. Sunfolk didn’t have soul names either, as Cutter had discovered when he and Leetah had Recognized. Nor, he remembered, did the other lost tribes.

Was this only a Wolfrider thing? A part of “The Way” that Strongbow hadn’t even realized?

*Clint and Bucky sound like soul names, private names, the names you only share with your most trusted, your beloved, while White Wolf and Hawkeye are use names, the ones any can use freely. But if you have no concept of soul names…* Strongbow trailed off, uncertain.

“You can call us whichever you prefer, Strongbow,” Hawkeye Sent. White Wolf nodded. “We’ll answer to either.”

The talk of names calmed the humans but unsettled Strongbow more than he would have liked. He wondered if soul names weren’t kept secret, if the names would lose their power over their keepers? Winnowill had used Dewshine’s against her, and would not have hesitated to use a soul name against anyone else, and yet he’d seen no evidence of that.

Surely, if she could have used a soul name to control Lord Voll, she wouldn’t have had to resort to tricks and potions or whatever she’d used?

Strongbow had a lot to think about, and no idea where to start to find the answers.


	6. Chapter 5 - Talks

##  Clint

* * *

Thor cornered Clint almost as soon as they returned to the Wolfriders Holt. He left Loki’s side and Clint tried not to flinch as Thor approached. Thor gave him a sad, understanding look.

“My friend,” Thor started, looking to Nat or Bucky to translate for him – apparently, his all speak did not extend towards the silent languages – and continuing on once one of them nodded and joined their sides. Steve called Bucky away and Clint nodded at him, Nat stepping into Clint’s line of sight. Her fluid hand movements gave Clint something to focus on so he didn’t have to see Thor’s sympathy.

“My friend, I apologize for how awkward and painful this must be to you. I would never cause you pain if I could help it. Yet he has suffered as you have. I would understand if you wish to stay away from him – and me – for your own peace of mind.”

“Of course I’m not going to  _ avoid  _ you,” Clint interrupted. “We’re teammates, friends. It wasn’t his fault, I get it. It would be hypocritical of me to judge him for being no worse than Bucky or I.”

Didn’t stop the uneasy twist in his gut when he saw Loki watching them, however. Didn’t stop the frisson of fear that shivered through him. Knowing and being able to accept it were two very different things, after all.

“Hawkeye –“ Thor’s hand came down on Clint’s shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze. “Clint. It’s all right. His pain does not invalidate yours, nor does it eradicate the things he has done nor what you have gone through. This, I understand. And so does he. Once we have returned the Avengers to Midgard, Loki and I shall depart, returning to our father so that you and he may continue to heal. You are allowed to be angry. And you must not feel guilty for having mixed feelings in regards to my brother. It is a natural state of being, after all.”

Thor gave Clint’s shoulder another squeeze, then a gentle pat that did not rock him on his feet as it had Loki. Clint gave him a shaky smile and nod which Thor returned before walking away and going back to his brother’s side.

Still feeling shaken to his core from the events of the past few days, Clint closed his eyes and took a few breaths. He thought about climbing the trees again, or running off for privacy but then he let out a breath and sighed. He made himself as comfortable as possible on the branch seat outside his tree den and watched the clearing, Nat asking with her eyes if she could join him. Clint nodded and they enjoyed a peaceful silence as he watched the activities around them.

There wasn’t much – most of the elves preferred to sleep during the day but as he’d noticed before, there were a few exceptions. He supposed, after what their chief had divulged the day before, that those were the elves of other tribes that had decided on a life with the Wolfriders – for whatever reasons.

They were all small, lithe and agile, and beautiful, with the expected pointed ears but also with only four fingers on each hand - a trait shared by the tiny, colorful flyers as well.  Even the awkward gangling of the only children in the tribe were a strange, delicate grace.

Those same children who had unwittingly set off a powder keg only the day before were approaching him and Nat again. Clint held his breath, waiting for the same burst of anger – only it didn’t come, of course. Because that had been Strongbow and, for whatever reason, Strongbow seemed to have had some sort of change of heart.

At least, judging by the telepathy lessons and the peptalk the other archer had given.

The blonde boy was Suntop, and he seemed shyer than his redheaded sister, Ember. She was grinning at them and scrambling over a nearby, low hanging tree limb.

*Father says you can Send, now,* she said, her eyes wide as she asked.

“Apparently, yes,” Clint agreed, both aloud and silently. He felt like acknowledging her Send was some sort of trap, but what it could possibly be he didn’t know. But he couldn’t  _ not  _ answer her, as loathe as he was to use the Sending of the elves. She was only a child, and he didn’t want to crush her curiosity.

*Can I see your bow? Can you shoot as good as Strongbow? I bet you can’t, cause he’s the best and humans aren’t good at  _ anything _ ,* she babbled.

Suntop pulled at her leg, not strong enough to pull her off the branch but enough to be annoying as he hissed at her. Clint could feel the undercurrent of their words, almost heard, but Strongbow’s lessons had helped keep the private words out of his head. He still wasn’t all that good at the open words, but then he’d only been working on his shields for a few hours.

Clint was a fast learner, but not  _ that  _ fast.

The children weren’t unaccompanied, at any rate, and Clint looked up at a thread of amusement to see Strongbow leaning on a tree not too far from them, watching them carefully.

He may have had a change of heart, but his eyes were like that of a hawk, and he wasn’t taking any chances with the strangers in their midst. Clint didn’t blame him.

*I still haven’t seen you shoot,* Strongbow Sent. His grin was feral in a way that made Clint’s mouth curl in response. Oh, he knew where  _ this  _ was going! And it would be a beautiful distraction from the turmoil and noise in his head.

“Well, it’d be a shame to disappoint the little one, wouldn’t it?”

Clint stood, looking about the Holt, then turned back to Strongbow and raised an eyebrow in challenge. “So where would we set up this little archery demonstration?”

One by one, Clint noticed elves popping out of the dens and creeping closer as little Ember crowed excitedly with her little wolf pup yapping along. His teammates turned their heads to see what the newest commotion was, Clint once more the center of it.

At least this was far more pleasant.

As Clint and Strongbow discussed locations, pointing out the merits and flaws of where they now stood, versus the stream, versus another location Strongbow flashed into his mind, versus where the ship had crashed, the elves and Avengers alike became excited as what was about to happen became clear.

In the end, they trooped out to the very large clearing made by the crashed ship for the demonstration. Steve – through a very distracted Thor – and Cutter set the rules while Bucky paced out the clearest path, measuring out various distances and marking them. Natasha, Tony and a few of the elves were delighted to be designing and setting up targets – some of them growing up right out of the ground at an astonishing rate - and the next thing Clint knew, he and Strongbow had become the evening’s entertainment in what felt like a last-minute festival of sorts.

Not as over the top as the circus had been – the brightest colors  _ here _ were the elves themselves and even those blended in with their environment in ways the circus patterns never could have.

After the stress of the last few weeks of chasing Loki across the galaxy, and the extra stress of the unusual circumstances of the past few days, Clint suspected that the festival-like event was kind of a relief valve. He was certain there was betting going on, and between Tony, Thor and a red-faced elf called Pike, the gathering was being well supplied with intoxicating drinks,  though neither he nor Strongbow partook.

Once they got started, it was fairly evenly matched if you accounted for the distance Clint’s ‘heavier draw’ bow could cover. Since it was one of the special bows that made it easier to draw, a thing of levers and pulleys that the planet – or whatever it was about the planet – couldn’t take away from, Clint did something nearly unthinkable.

After a few rounds of shooting, and bets constantly exchanging hands, he handed Strongbow his bow.

There was almost a collective gasp from the Avengers that Clint had been angled just right to catch. He rolled his eyes. Yes, he  _ was  _ protective of his bow and let few handle her, but Strongbow could clearly be trusted in his treatment of the weapon.

As if to prove Clint’s instincts right, Strongbow held his gaze for a long, intense moment with solemn serenity – then exchanged his for Clint’s.

Clint, getting better at blocking what wasn’t aimed at him, did not hear the words the elves Sent amongst themselves in what he would describe as something like a murmur, but he could feel almost the same flavor of shock from the elves at the exchange as his teammates had shown.

Strongbow adjusted quickly to the draw and began shooting easily with it. His face was impassive but still carried the aura of one impressed.

As the competition wound down, Clint found himself grinning, feeling more at ease for the first time in the past couple of days.

He’d definitely needed that.

*Rarely have I seen such skill,* Strongbow admitted at last, on an open Send. *Even among elves, you surpass many that I have known. And your bow is needlessly complicated, but magnificent all the same.*

Bucky snorted, speaking and sending at the same time.

“That needlessly complicated bow allows him to do some  _ really  _ interesting tricks, since he can draw faster and with less strain than a normal bow, as I understand it.”

Clint cocked his head at Bucky, speaking and Sending in the same way. It was coming easier to him, like talking and signing at the same time. “It’s more than that which allows me to do those tricks.”

*Tricks?* One of the other elves Sent out.

Strongbow’s eyes narrowed. *Have you not been showing me all that you are capable of?* He handed the bow back with another challenge in his eyes. *Show me.*

Clint laughed wryly and accepted his bow back. “The kinds of things I learned were never appropriate for the things you would have need of. I learned useless tricks meant to impress and amaze. Later I turned those tricks into a weapon when I fought. The uses for which our bows are used, and therefore the skills needed to wield them, are different. I did not plan to show them, as they were not relevant or fair to the friendly game between us.”

*Regardless, I would see these skills if you would?* Strongbow asked.

Clint looked at his teammates, at Nat and Bucky who most often worked with him when he was working out the kinks of a tricky maneuver. He signed at Nat and she laughed, nodding. She quickly explained what they intended to do through Thor, had Redlance grow more things out of the ground to her standards, making obstacles for Clint to make use of, all while making sure everyone stayed back, and then they began.

Clint tumbled and shot, leapt and twisted as she tossed targets randomly into the air, never in a pattern he could predict, sometimes many at once. He hit each one – from the air, from the ground, behind him, upside down. He ran up the twisting vines, and dangled from his knees, shooting through the gaps in others, and he did it all with a grin on his face and peace filtering down through his core.

He had  _ definitely  _ needed this.

The elves stared in wonder and Strongbow watched with a glint in his eyes.

It may be useless to the Wolfrider, but Clint was suddenly sure the fellow archer would be adding some of these moves into his own practices. If nothing else, Clint knew, it kept the mind sharp, the reflexes fast and the body limber.

He was flushed and breathing a little hard from the exertion when he finished. Bucky was at his side in an instant handing him water.

“Thanks,” Clint said, signing the word as well on impulse. It was strangely freeing not to hide this part of himself from his friends, like he was ashamed of it. He wasn’t, as hard as it had been to accept and as afraid as he was that they’d treat him differently.

So far they hadn’t.

Bucky grinned back. *You’re welcome,* he Sent, his lips moving enough that Clint could clearly read them if he chose.

When Bucky suddenly ducked his head and turned away, leaving Clint blinking after him, Clint caught the edge of an amused wordless burst, already so strongly feeling of Strongbow that Clint could recognize it anywhere.

*What?* He Sent back to the other archer. Strongbow’s mouth quirked up, just as his lifemate, Moonshade – who had an impeccable sense of color, Clint thought – reached his side. She, also, was smirking, as she reached for Strongbow, linking their hands together. Her mind voice - equal parts soft and steel – tapped against his so-called wall and he nodded at her, inviting her to say her piece.

*It is clear you are lifemates,* she said. *Why do you dance around each other?*

Clint, just taking another swig of the water Bucky had given him, choked and spluttered.

Just as swiftly as before, Bucky was at his side – as was usual, Clint realized. Clint waved him off but the flood of concern and feeling made him blush.

So maybe Bucky wasn’t quite as good at keeping up those mental walls as Strongbow had hinted at.

*Bucky likes dancing,* Clint Sent back against the smugness he could feel from the two elves and hoped he’d kept the communication private.

“I’m okay, Bucky,” Clint said. “Really.” Relief flooded him and it wasn’t his. Clint looked up to give Bucky a reassuring smile and was caught in his eyes. Blue – but not the blue of the scepter, of Loki’s mind control – and so damn gorgeous and full of feeling.

Bucky held a mask so often, even around the team, that it was his eyes that you needed to look at. His eyes were usually the only way to tell how he was truly feeling and Clint was lamenting that he never just let himself get lost in how gorgeous they – and Bucky – were.

*Gorgeous, huh?* Bucky said, a shy smile forming on his face.

It said a lot – for what Bucky meant to Clint and how used to this method of communication he’d gotten from select individuals – that he didn’t even feel resentment or anger that Bucky had read thoughts that weren’t meant for him. Clint knew it hadn’t been intentional anyway.

The hopeful adoration in his eyes and filling Clint’s mind didn’t hurt either.

“Yeah, you’re goddamn gorgeous,” Clint said, his own grin turning softer, he knew. He could practically see its reflection in Bucky's eyes. He hooked one hand into Bucky’s belt loop, giving it a very gentle tug.

Bucky stumbled forward eagerly, eyes wide, lips parted slightly and Clint couldn’t hold back a second longer - not when he could  _ feel  _ Bucky’s hopeful anticipation, not when he’d been longing for Bucky almost since he’d gotten to the tower – and he leaned down and kissed him, with all the softness Bucky goddamned  _ deserved. _

##  Steve

* * *

“About damned time,” Tony exclaimed.

Steve narrowed his eyes at him. “You  _ lost, _ Tony.”

“Yeah, but so did you,” Tony pointed out.

“But I didn’t,” Nat said sweetly. “And I expect everyone to pay up, once we get home.”

“Of course, little spider,” Thor laughed. “I will gladly pay you the winnings you have earned, but I am most pleased that they have finally come to realize their feelings for each other.”

“They’re not the  _ only  _ ones,” Natasha said, arching her eyebrow and cocking her head at Steve and Tony.

Steve blushed hotly. He should have known Natasha would have sussed them out immediately. Beside him, Tony groaned.

“Indeed?” Thor said, excitement in his eyes as he turned to Steve and Tony. “My friends, this is good news! Congratulations! Much good has been accomplished this day! It must have been destiny for us to be stranded here.” He beamed at Tony and Steve, then at Bucky and Clint, still exchanging soft kisses swiftly turning deeper, much to the elves' amusement, and then at his brother, who stiffened and looked away, shame still covering his face. Thor just smiled at him sadly, patiently with much love in his eyes and Steve hoped Thor could get through to Loki, this time, now that Leetah had restored much of his balance, now that they knew Loki had been struggling and needed help.

Maybe it could be the difference Loki needed.

Just as the sudden and terrible thought of losing Tony - coming closer than Steve had ever come to losing him since that day in New York when they barely knew each other – had been the spark for Steve to finally take the leap and tell Tony how he felt.

And whatever it had been about this place that had made Bucky and Clint’s feelings finally boil out into the open.

“Okay, this is all well and good. Steve and I are together, Bucky and Clint are together, Nat made a killing on our love lives, we found Loki  _ and  _ we’ve helped him become the best Loki he can be – but most importantly, how do we get home?” Tony asked.

Thor straightened from where he’d been conversing with his brother. “I have a solution for that, actually. It is simply a matter of reaching Heimdell.”

Loki gave him a sharp look. “The Bifrost?” Loki shook his head at Thor’s nod. “It’s far more difficult to use between worlds that do not belong to the realms of Asgard. We have not even ever been to this world, I doubt he can reach us here easily.”

Clapping Loki on the back and causing him to stagger, Thor boomed, “Have faith, brother. The Bifrost, if all is well, can reach anywhere.”

“If this is true,” Tony said, crossing his arms over his chest. “Then why haven’t we called for a ride home yet?”

“What makes you think I have not?” Thor said. “You wound me, Tony. I have already called Heimdall. He has not answered, but only because it will take him time to tune the Bifrost here, and we needed to find Loki first, for I would not leave without him.”

Steve pressed a hand on Tony’s waist, tugging him around to face him. “Relax, Tony. We’ll be able to get you back to your lab soon enough.” He turned back to Thor. “What about the ship? Can he take that too? We probably shouldn’t leave it here, a useless wreck to pollute their world.”

“It’s not useless!” Tony spluttered.

“Here it is,” Steve said, shrugging. “But if we can get it away from here, we can probably repair the damage from the crash and she’ll be up and running again.  _ If  _ we can get her off the planet.”

Thor hummed thoughtfully. “Truthfully, I am not sure. We have never tried, nor needed to move anything quite so large.”

Tony got a glint in his eye and pulled at Thor, tugging him a few feet away. “So tell me more about how this Bifrost works. And how you’re communicating with Heimdall. Is it one way communication or two? What powers the Bifrost?”

Steve stared at Tony fondly but turned his attention away, letting the two of them butt heads where terminology didn’t line up. Bucky and Clint had finally stopped kissing and the sun was going down enough that it would be hard for all but the Wolfriders and the super soldiers to see anything on their return to the Holt.

The past few days had been strange – but probably weren’t the  _ strangest  _ Steve had lived, if he were going to be honest about it. Knowing that there was, indeed, a way off the strange, earthlike planet, was a relief.

However long it took, they weren’t stuck here forever and so Steve determined he would enjoy their little enforced vacation.

As Wolfriders and Avengers alike began to wrap things up and trail back towards the Holt, Steve was already looking forward to full dark, when Tony and he were holed up in the tree den Redlance had shaped for them.

He had a feeling that Bucky and Clint felt the same way.

* * *

* * *

#  Bonus Scene

##  Bucky 

* * *

Bucky moaned as Clint deepened the kiss, pushing him back on their furs, hands wandering over Bucky as Bucky cursed the clothes that were in their way, a nd the arm that was pinned to his body making the removal of clothes even harder. Clint's hands seemed to be everywhere, tugging Bucky’s shirt out of his pants, sliding over the revealed skin and exposing the dark hair across his lower belly.

Maybe they should wait till they were home, back at the Tower, but truly, they’d waited long enough.

“Clint – “ Bucky gasped before freezing when he heard a noise Clint could not. His hand flew down to grab Clint’s before he could do more than pull the zipper of his pants down. *Clint! We’ve got company,* Bucky Sent urgently, not wishing to literally be caught with his pants down, though he suspected it would be more embarrassing than dangerous. Anything dangerous would have to get through a whole host of wide awake Wolfriders before it reached them, and surely Bucky would know something was wrong long before whatever it was reached their den.

Whirling, Clint reached for a knife, freezing when he saw what Bucky saw – Natasha silhouetted in the entryway of their den, against the light of two moons.

“Hey boys,” she said sweetly. “Loki took my bed, so it looks like I need a place to stay for the night.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it! We're done!!!  
> I really hope you enjoyed the story - don't forget to leave love for the artist  
> [Sian1359](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sian1359) and their wonderful art!!!

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Art for "All Is Not What It Seems" by Pherryt](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27566269) by [sian1359](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sian1359/pseuds/sian1359)




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